Mikel Arteta can immediately tell if a player is the right fit for Arsenal from a Zoom call, just from looking into their eyes.
The Gunners' manager has become known for his persuasive skills in attracting top-calibre players to his side. In recent transfer windows, Arteta has successfully convinced some of the most sought-after and highly-rated stars in the game to choose Arsenal as their destination.
That has been instrumental in the north London club's ascension to Premier League title contenders over the past three seasons.
Arsenal outmanoeuvred Manchester City to secure the £105million signing of Declan Rice in 2023 and then beat Liverpool, Real Madrid and City to the punch by signing Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi for £60m earlier this summer. Most recently, Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres opted for the Emirates Stadium over Old Trafford, joining Arsenal for a fee of £63.4m. Arteta clearly felt that Gyokeres had the character to succeed after taking the plunge on him over someone like Benjamin Sesko.
Invariably, the new recruits mention the huge influence Arteta had on their decision to join Arsenal. His detailed tactical discussions with the player, the personal connection he builds and the enthusiasm he transmits during initial conversations are all pivotal.
The Spaniard is set to bring such expertise and knowledge to Under Armour, having been announced as the American sportswear giant's global ambassador this week. His role will involve sharing his understanding of the sport in areas such as brand development, talent identification and leadership, as well as nurturing the next generation of athletes through his involvement in Under Armour's Next Programme.
During the announcement of his new role, Arteta revealed that during the initial video meeting with a potential Arsenal player, he is not only pitching the club but also assessing that individual's capabilities.
He explained that, at that stage, the player's personality is the most important factor in determining whether they can thrive under him and whether they will sink or swim in the high-pressure environment of a Premier League title-challenging dressing room.
Mikel Arteta poses with a football after being named Under Armour's new global ambassador
Arteta has been named Under Armour’s new global ambassador (Image: Under Armour)
Arteta said: “Personality [is the most important attribute for a player]. Without that, you have no chance. You have to look at somebody’s eyes.
“When I go to sign a player, sometimes it’s on Zoom and I open the laptop, it’s the first impression. Is this guy ready to put that jersey on, work in that dressing room and take all the noise that is surrounding his signing and deal with it in the right way?”
He added: “And then we go to the qualities and how this player is going to relate to other people because at the end, this player is going to have to glide into the dressing room so you have to imagine this person with this personality and in this position and how they are going to connect with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
“If these groups add this person, it’s going to influence this group but at the end of the day, they’re all going to have to connect with each other.”
Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal (C) looks on during the Arsenal Open Training Session: Pre-Season Tour at Kai Tak Stadium on July 30, 2025 in Hong Kong, China
Arteta could immediately tell Viktor Gyokeres had the right personality (Image: Eurasia Sport Images, Getty Images)
His comments help shed light on why he chose to sign Gyokeres from Sporting CP last month. Arteta had previously shown strong interest in Sesko, who was at RB Leipzig at the time, before the Slovenian's salary expectations and Leipzig's steep valuation led him and Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta to push ahead with an alternative option.
Gyokeres, the goal-hungry frontman Arsenal have been missing for half a decade, demonstrated his commitment to the transfer by pushing for his departure from Sporting, refusing to return to training sessions and making it clear that N5 was his preferred destination.
Gyokeres' conviction that Arsenal was the right club for him may well have been the decisive factor in Arteta's decision to take the gamble on the Swedish international. The manager rewarded Gyokeres' courage by not holding back in playing him or cautiously easing him in during pre-season.
And with Gyokeres expected to start when Arsenal begin their 2025/26 Premier League campaign on Sunday against Manchester United, we might see whether Arteta has successfully showcased his exceptional talent ID once more.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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