Mikel Arteta has been accused of selling one of the best players in the Premier League as Arsenal continue fighting for the league title.
If it wasn't for Manchester City's dominance in recent years, Arteta would have won one or two titles for Arsenal in his five-year tenure. The Spaniard has been hailed for changing the culture, installing his own philosophy and getting rid of a number of bad influences in the dressing room.
While there has been success off the pitch, not every transfer has been a triumph. Premier League icon Jussi Jaaskelainen believes Arsenal shouldn't have let Emiliano Martinez go.
Since his departure from the Emirates Stadium, Martinez has gone on to win the World Cup with Argentina while also helping Aston Villa to qualify for the Champions League. This year, he was crowned best goalkeeper in the world for the second consecutive occasion at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
"It’s hard for me to name the best goalkeeper in the Premier League so I’m going to have to put it down to two," the former West Ham shot-stopper told Ladbrokes. "First of all, I have to go with Alisson. I’m a big fan of him; he just seems to be a monster in goal. It doesn’t look like he moves quickly, and he doesn’t really look special, to be honest. But the way that big boy moves is unbelievable, and the saves he makes are just as good.
"But the other one for me would have to be Emi Martinez, for Aston Villa. He’s right up there for me, and I can’t believe how good a move it’s been for him, to leave Arsenal and go to Villa. Since then, he’s won the World Cup, the Copa America, and he’s played a huge part in getting Villa back into Europe. I really do like him, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s great with the ball… he’s got everything, honestly.
"I love how commanding he is in his box – he’s aggressive when he needs to be aggressive. He’s a great lesson to young footballers, as well. You know, before he signed for Aston Villa, he hadn’t played more than 20 games for a team, and he’d been on loan with six different clubs. Obviously, he got his break in 2020, when Bernd Leno got injured for Arsenal, and he came in and won the FA Cup with them.
"I think it was the best move for everybody, to be honest. If Arsenal didn’t fancy him as their number one, then the move was the best outcome, for sure. But to go on and do what he’s done… it’s just a great lesson. I think it’s important for goalkeepers, when they’re young, to go and play as much senior football as they can, and obviously that’s what Martinez went and did."