"He has this talent too" - Pep Guardiola makes pointed remark at Mikel Arteta's ability to 'demand' transfer funds from Arsenal hierarchy
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently revealed another talent of his former assistant manager and current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners are set to host the Cityzens at the Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday, October 8. While it's only their eighth game of the season, it could potentially have an impact on the title race.
Ahead of the game, Guardiola said that Arteta, along with his other managerial skills, has the ability to convince the board for more transfer funds. He said (via Fabrizio Romano):
“He’s a guy who is so demanding with the board. He’s like: give me money, money to spend! He has this talent, too.
“Sometimes it’s more like: Okay, what the club decides. He pushes everyone”
Arsenal have a net spend of over £660 million on transfers since appointing Arteta as manager back in December 2019 (via Express). They spent over £200 million this summer as well, signing the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.
Their recruitment has seen the Gunners, who finished twice in eighth position, become title challengers. They led the race last season for 248 days but just fell short towards the end, allowing Manchester City to retain their title.
Arsenal are currently third in the table, one point behind Manchester City. A win on Sunday for either team could potentially see them leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur at the top spot.
Mikel Arteta provides Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Arsenal's clash against Manchester City
One of the major worries for the Gunners ahead of the game against City on Sunday is the fitness status of Bukayo Saka. The winger had to be subbed off in the first half in their UEFA Champions League defeat at RC Lens in midweek.
In a pre-match press conference, manager Mikel Arteta was asked about Saka to which he replied (via Arsenal.com):
"Well, he is in contention, we'll see how he progresses from here to Sunday. Obviously he had to leave the pitch [against RC Lens], that's never good news, but let's see how he recovers."
Saka has been a key player for Arsenal since making his senior debut in 2019. He has registered 43 goals and 45 assists in 189 games for them.
The Englishman has also been in excellent form this season, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 10 games across competitions.