Arsenal has offered England winger Raheem Sterling a new lease on life in his career after his time in the wilderness at Chelsea. The club’s sporting director, Edu, disclosed that Arsenal had not initially planned to sign Sterling at the beginning of the transfer window but ultimately decided to bring him in on loan from their London rivals in a last-minute move on transfer deadline day.
Sterling had been sidelined by Chelsea’s new head coach, Enzo Maresca, throughout the summer, leading to uncertainty about his future. However, Arsenal stepped in at the eleventh hour, giving Sterling a chance to revive his career in North London.
Edu admitted that acquiring Sterling was not part of Arsenal’s original strategy, stating, “To be fair, we never really planned to sign him when we started the transfer window, just to be very transparent. It wasn’t in our initial plans for different reasons.”
Despite this, Edu emphasized the importance of being prepared for unexpected opportunities in the transfer market. When the chance to sign Sterling presented itself, Arsenal conducted a thorough assessment of their squad and how Sterling’s playing style could fit within the team.
Edu explained that he consulted with head coach Mikel Arteta and vice-chairman Tim Lewis to ensure everyone was on board with the move. After careful consideration, they concluded that signing Sterling made sense for Arsenal. “It makes a lot of sense to have someone like him because I’m pretty sure he is going to add a lot to the squad,” Edu noted.
He highlighted Sterling’s wealth of experience as a valuable asset to the team. Having played in the Premier League and the Champions League for several years, Sterling brings a winning mentality, having been part of title-winning squads on multiple occasions.
Edu expressed confidence that Sterling’s experience and knowledge of the game would be beneficial to the team, saying, “He understands the league more than anyone, he’s played in the Champions League many times. He won the Premier League a few times as well, so I think he can add a lot to our squad.”
Edu also reflected on the challenges of the transfer window, especially in securing Sterling in the final moments. He acknowledged the complexity of the process, describing the final day and the entire window as a long and demanding period for the club.
Despite these challenges, he expressed pride in how Arsenal conducted their business, remarking, “In the end, I think we as a club have to be proud once again. The way we are working together, the way we did all the deals.”
Sterling’s move to Arsenal, although unexpected, represents a fresh start for the 29-year-old winger and a significant addition to the Gunners’ squad, which aims to compete at the highest levels of English and European football this season.
