Mikel Arteta hires professional pickpockets to help Arsenal players learn important lesson ahead of new season: Reports
According to The Athletic, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has taught his team a valuable lesson by hiring professional pickpockets. The Spaniard is known for his unique training methods, including bringing an Olive tree to team meetings and inviting a dog called 'Win' to the training ground.
He has now taken the help of pickpockets. During a team dinner, Arteta asked them to get to work. At the end of the dinner, the Spanish coach asked his players to empty their pockets and many learned that they had been missing valuables.
The report mentions that Arteta tried to teach his players to be always aware of their surroundings through the training. Whether it will pay dividends in the upcoming season and make Arsenal players more aware on the pitch remains to be seen.
Arteta has been in charge of the Gunners since December 2019. After a difficult start, he led the team to back-to-back second-place Premier League finishes in the last two seasons. Arsenal lost out the league title to Manchester City on both occasions.
In both seasons, the Gunners lost focus in crucial games towards the end of the campaign and dropped valuable points. The 2024-25 season is around the corner and Arteta's men are once again among title contenders.
The former club captain is seemingly keen to avoid another slip-up this season and is doing his best to prepare his team. Competing against the generational Manchester City side is no easy task and Pep Guardiola's team's no-nonsense approach leaves very little room for errors for other teams.
Apart from the Gunners, Arne Slot's Liverpool are among the consensus title contenders. Erik ten Hag's Manchester United would also look to throw their hat into the race, albeit their recent form has been far from convincing.
Arsenal attacker growing impatient amid interest from Premier League rivals: Reports
While Mikel Arteta is teaching his Arsenal side important lessons, the Spaniard could get his pocket picked in the transfer market. As per Sky Sports' Dharmesh Sheth, Leicester City are interested in Reiss Nelson.
With the likes of Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka present at the Emirates, Nelson has found regular game time hard to come by. The 24-year-old has so far played 89 matches across competitions for the English giants, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists.
Last season, Nelson made 23 appearances for the senior team, starting only five of those matches. Transfer insider Alex Crook has also hinted at Nelson leaving Arsenal, naming West Ham United as a potential destination for the winger.