On September 6 at 23:30 CEST, Arsenal will host Chelsea in their third Premier League match. Following the end of the media embargo, a portion of the confidential section from Arsenal manager Arteta's pre-match press conference was released, with the remaining content scheduled to be released on September 6 at 05:30 CEST.

Do you think this squad is stronger today compared to the end of last season?

Yes, I do think so.

Can you explain why you think that?

Well, it's a personal feeling. But now we need to prove it through our performances in matches. I believe our current squad is better, and compared to the start of last season, we now have more players fit and available to play. Additionally, I think we've not only improved the overall technical quality of the squad, but we've also strengthened the leadership qualities and capabilities within the team, which are very crucial and important in a squad.

Obviously, everyone has discussed the loss of attacking players—four players left but only one new player was signed—but can you explain why your choices have made you stronger in what seems like a strange situation to everyone? You're clearly stronger in defence and midfield, but is that also true in attack?

Yes, but this is a holistic issue. In that specific position, we need to prove through actual performances whether we've improved or not. Let's wait and see. We need to be tested in real matches, and personally I don't like to make subjective assumptions before everything happens. I believe scoring goals and attacking aren't just the individual responsibility of a few offensive players, but rather the collective responsibility of the entire squad and how our tactical system functions dynamically. And in that position, we have a variety of different options, and also players with different technical characteristics and styles.

Actually, I wanted to express this point just now, but has everyone forgotten your excellent original squad? The former manager Wenger once famously said that we live in a society that loves what's new and despises what's old, always chasing the next shiny thing, where everyone is obsessed with the "next new and shiny thing". So I want to ask you, are people neglecting the valuable assets you already have?

I think that's human nature. I imagine that whenever you talk to people and ask them, the usual answer is: "Well, what's on your wish list?" Yes, when discussing the future, everyone is very eager to write all sorts of wish lists. But sometimes, we often forget the so-called "reverse wish list"—the incredibly wonderful things that already exist and that you already have in your life. But since everyone is accustomed to focusing heavily on the goals they haven't achieved, everything they have right now seems perpetually unsatisfactory.

This doesn't happen only in football; it's exactly the same pattern in everyday life. I think it's fundamental to learn to love and value what you already have, and that's why I speak so highly of this squad and express how much I love our group of players. I truly appreciate everything we currently have and the results we've created together.

Of course, having ambition is a great thing, and maintaining the drive and ambition to improve, especially to cultivate and develop the existing positive elements within the club, is absolutely necessary. But never lose objective perspective and never despise the truly exceptional players we currently have. We're very fortunate to be able to compete alongside them.

Hi Mikel, during your time as Arsenal manager, you've signed only three attackers—Gabriel Jesus, Havertz and Gyökeres—while you've signed more than 10 defensive players. What's the reason for this?

Because you only need one attacker on the pitch, while you need two or three centre-backs, so naturally the demand for defensive players is greater. So what do you think is the most reasonable ratio for signings?

I don't actually know, I'm just expressing my opinion...

So what exactly is your main question?

I mean this disparity—the huge difference between the number of attackers signed and the number of defensive players signed. What's the reason behind this? Is it due to the influence of the transfer market? Or something else?

Are you saying I should have signed more attackers, right?

Yes!

Well, that depends on the specific situation. When I arrived here, we already had two excellent strikers—Aubameyang and Lacazette. After that, we also had Nketiah, who was developed by the club itself. Later, over time, things developed differently. I can't really explain it systematically, but there's another point—you have to trust the players you currently have to take on these responsibilities.

Now, we've acted in the transfer market. Last summer, we made some signings. And at this moment, Gabi (Jesus) is set to join Barcelona. I also want to take this opportunity to express to him my sincere and profound gratitude, because he has made an extremely significant contribution to changing the overall dynamics and spirit within and around our club.

I think when Gabi arrived, he brought with him a strong conviction of "this is mine", that prosperous energy, that inner confidence and a unique strong presence, which really helped and contributed greatly to what we achieved afterwards. And now, yes, he has a wonderful new opportunity to enjoy one of the world's greatest clubs, and Barcelona is also a very appealing and liveable place. We're all happy for him and wish him all the best.

Regarding the transfer market, it's been reported that your assistant coach Gabriel Heinze has contacted some of his Argentine compatriots to gauge their interest in joining Arsenal. What exactly is Heinze's personal role? Does he have a specific responsibility or input in player recruitment and transfer matters?

I don't know where this rumour comes from, but everyone on our staff shares responsibility for everything we do, and we know many people in football. Obviously, when signing players, we need to look into their background. There are indeed some existing relationships within the coaching staff, and these resources should certainly be used, but that's no different in essence from the work done by any other member of our coaching staff.

Hi Mikel, given that you've already won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, do you feel somewhat disappointed when you see that some transfer dealings are still so difficult and full of obstacles? With the title of league champions and Champions League finalists, there should be a great number of world-class stars queuing up to knock on Arsenal's door, shouldn't there?

I don't know what to say. I think closing a deal in this transfer market is very intricate and definitely not as easy as it seems. I'm not sure how easy it seems from the outside, but in reality, we've put every possible effort and resource into pushing these transfers through.

It's gratifying that we've managed to complete most of these transfer targets and we've demonstrated extremely high efficiency. I think Andrea's (Director of Football Berta) strategic planning in this year's transfer market has really shown an incredible level once again, and of course, this is also inseparable from the strong support of the entire club behind the scenes. However, transfer operations are never perfect, and actually, they don't need to be.

Do you still need to actively "sell" the club to players? Does Arsenal still need to prove something to the rest of the world?

No, I think the club's brand is compelling enough to attract players. In that regard, I think we're very fortunate. And we live in a very beautiful city (London), which is always a great advantage for the wives, girlfriends and families of players.

Tradotto dall'IA.

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