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football.london is on hand to provide the full transcript from Mikel Arteta's pre-Aston Villa press conference as the Arsenal boss was quizzed on team news, injuries and transfer business
Mikel Arteta hopes Bruno Guimaraes
Mikel Arteta hopes Bruno Guimaraes will be available to feature for Arsenal against Aston Villa
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Mikel Arteta was quizzed on a raft of different topics ahead of Arsenal versus Aston Villa, not least the futures of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri, his pursuit of Julian Alvarez plus there was team news on Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes.
Here is every word Arteta just said with football.london's full press conference transcript before the trip to Villa Park.
Is Ezri Konsa available?
"Yeah, he's available. He's been training really well, and I think he will be available for selection."
Making debut against the team that sold him, the deal seemed quite straightforward? "Well, I don't get involved in the deals. We get involved in identifying the players and the talent that we believe are going to make us better. But, yeah, at the end, when a club sends a player, a club buys a player, it's because everybody's happy with the outcome."
No reason why the player shouldn't get a good reaction at Villa?
"Well, I hope so. I don't know. And I'm sure that Ezri will think the same way for what he's done for the club. But, obviously, this is not down to us."
No Guimaraes in training? Is there concern over his groin?
"No, no, we just managed the last few days with him. He's out on the pitch. He's been doing training sessions. But we need to manage a lot to get to Monday in the best possible condition to be able to get selected."
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Is he potentially available for Monday?
"Yes, potentially available, yeah."
No Gabriel Jesus in training today? Is that right?
"Yeah."
Anything to do with this future?
"Well, it's something to do with the numbers that we have in the squad at the moment and the way we're managing that kind of situation individually with all the players that have some personal situations."
By personal situations, do you mean that he potentially could be leaving the club?
"Personal situations, whatever they are, I think it's clear."
Gabriel Martinelli was training but went in before other players, any idea where he was headed?
"Again, that's another personal situation that we are dealing with. I think everybody knows and recognises how much we love Gabi. And yeah, whatever the outcome is, it will be because everybody agrees to that. You spoke last week about the difficulty of having a conversation with players that you love, players that you've worked with."
Were Jesus and Martinelli two of the players you had conversations with?
"Yes, for sure. There are those conversations and those conversations go both ways. But I'm very satisfied how this conversation went because I know what is in each other's hearts and the words that they come through in that conversation make me really happy.
"But it's inevitable that at some point you need to have certain discussions and say certain things that sometimes are tough."
Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli remains in Arsenal training for now(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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How have your conversations with Julian Alvarez gone?
"Don't go there."
He's a player you know well? Andrea signed him as well for Atletico. Could that be a part of the whole scenario?
"No, I'm not going to make any comment with any player that is not with us."
When you sign a player, we know you need them to be all in, is that always going to be the case?
"Publicly, I never ask them. I think it's more privately to get the feeling that they feel something unique, an attachment, a feeling that they really want to join us and they have that desire to come and be part of our family."
Any news on Ethan Nwaneri?
"No, no news on that."
It was reported by El Chiringuito's Josep Pedrerol that you called Alvarez but he didn't pick up? Any truth?
"You know I'm not going to make any comments about what he says publicly, because if not, I would think I would be having a different job."
Team news, Timber and Saliba, where are they at?
"Jurrien is progressing really well. Let's see how he ends up this week. It's the third week in a row that he's been outside and we have increased his load. So he's in the right trajectory. If everything goes well, I think next week we're going to step it up again. Willi, obviously, he's in a much conservative load management right now, so that's going to take a while."
Jurrien Timber
Jurrien Timber remains sidelined for now
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Can you talk us through the changes against Coventry? Gyokeres didn't play?
"Well, for different reasons. One, some of them were physical, some of them because some players they cannot last still 90 minutes. We didn't want to expose them. And others are tactical or a feeling that you have throughout the game. That's it."
Emery had a tough start?
"He's one of the most experienced players in the league and one of the most successful, without a question of a doubt. So, look what they did last year, how they finished it and the incredible season that they had. So, it's just a game. And that's it. And I'm sure he will turn it around. Thank you."
With players moving on, obviously it's a difficult time sometimes. So, how do you go about having those conversations? Is there a certain time you do it or a certain way you do it, particularly when there's emotions involved from both sides?
"I mean, try to be as clear and as transparent as possible, you know. And try to deliver the message as it is. And they know from what place that message is coming.
"So, yeah, if I give a player through six years 500 great messages and one day I have to give him a message that maybe it's not that good, I think the proportion is quite good. So, I expect that they value the things that they've done for the club or for myself. If it's 499 to 1, certainly that one is going to pay so little in the way I feel about a player."
You say you want players to believe Arsenal is the right destination for them, is there any temptation with the elite players to just do whatever it takes to eventually get them?
"Convincing, I don't know if it's the word, but obviously explaining what we are, what we are doing, how we expect a player to fit in within our club and our way of playing, his role in the team. That's certainly the case, I think, everybody. And those players, normally, they don't come by themselves. They come with a team, whether it's a family, with people that work with them. So, I think that whole ecosystem of the player has to be understood. And I think everybody around it, as well, has to feel that it's the right thing to do."
Is there any frustration when clubs plans are on hold as you wait for situations to develop elsewhere?
"No, I mean, we haven't had situations like this, really. Then, after, you can do a deal or you cannot do a deal. But I think we are really privileged that players really want to come to Arsenal."
Can you reflect on your feelings and experience with Gabriel Martinelli when you spoke to him openly about his future?
"Gabby is an Arsenal player, and that's it. I don't think I should make any more comments about that. I understand the question, but it's not the moment to do that."
Are you afraid to play Konsa against Villa, his old side? Funny game for debut...
"No, well, if I see something different on the player, maybe I question that. The way I've seen Ezri since day one, knowing his personality really well that I know, with all the feedback that I get from all the people that have worked with him, that's nothing that concerns me there."
Mikel Arteta and Ezri Konsa
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with new signing Ezri Konsa at Sobha Realty Training Centre(Image: Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Facing a Villa side trying to be compliant with financial rules, do you think they are good for the league?
"Well, I prefer not to get into that territory. I think I have enough things around me to get into that because it's quite complex, and I think there are people that are much more prepared and detailed than I am to comment on those."
How do you manage the strikers you currently have while you're being linked with a big one?
"Very simple. Whatever you read, if you have a question, come and knock on my door, and I will tell you whether it is true or not.
"Because if, I don't know, in any position, if they read it, we put now the catalogue in all these walls about all the players that we wanted in the last three months, I think we need the whole building to put it on. So I think they know that there's so much speculation with a lot of players. If ever they feel the doubt of what we think of them and if we're going to recruit a player, I tell them straight away."
Have any of them knocked?
"No. Normally I do it. So if we're going to sign somebody in their position, I normally tell them. These are the plans and these are the reasons why we have the plans. We still believe the same in you, but the competition is going to increase. I prefer to do it that way."
Would you be happy with business so far if it finished that way?
"Today I'm satisfied. I hope that when it closes I am even more satisfied because I will be even more convinced that the team has had a great performance against Villa and won the game and we are in the best possible scenario."
Best squad since you've been at Arsenal?
"It's the best squad that we have or we believe that we could have right now. And that's it. And it's not the best squad that we're going to have in a month's time because hopefully the players will improve, the team will improve and we'll be better.
|I don't know. I don't know how teams are going to behave. I think we need to understand really well what we want. I think we are really clear in the way we want to approach every single game and then go day by day to prove that we belong where we are."
More exits, does that change your thinking on where Eberechi Eze might play?
"Well, the great thing that we have in the team is that a lot of players have a huge versatility to play and occupy different spaces. Ebbs is one of them. He plays as a left winger, as a left attacking midfielder, right attacking midfielder and he can deliver the role in a great way in those positions. So, yeah, we will see changes in relation to the opponent, to the relationship that we have in the team. Players play in different positions. It's going to be needed and I think it's a real asset that we have in the team."
Having likes of Saka and Merino back, does that reduce need to bring in another attacker?
"I think it's a natural reaction because we always want more, you know. It looks like if we sign somebody else, but I mean, we already have a lot of great players here in the building. We are always looking to strengthen and be better and have qualities that we don't have in the squad. But the main aim, as I said, is focus on the one that we have that they are so good."
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