Mikel Arteta has sent a warning to his Arsenal players while also making a claim about Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka.
What’s the story?
Well, the Spaniard sat down with the Telegraph to discuss what he focuses on outside of football, and how he tries to incorporate that into his work at the Emirates Stadium.
One of the topics that arose was in regards to reading books – which Arteta mentioned that Xhaka and Saka have started to do – although he sent out a warning to those who spend too much time on their phones.
The 40-year-old told the Telegraph: “I spend a lot of time with teenagers, and we have a huge responsibility there, so I try to give them books and get them to read. Granit is starting to do some reading now, Bukayo is starting.
“There are a few, but on our phones we have access to everything, you can keep scrolling for ten minutes, then two or three hours. I need them to get rid of those.”
The best managers are able to change the outlook of their players and broaden their horizons in life, not just improve their footballing ability.
Arteta seems to be attentive to that, and now more than ever, it is important for those involved in professional football not to spend too much time on their phones as social media abuse spirals out of control.
Saka & Xhaka are two fine examples of Arteta’s work at Arsenal
In addition to Gabriel Martinelli, Saka and the £35m Xhaka are arguably two of the most improved players since Arteta took over from Unai Emery.
They are hugely reliable, and rarely shy away out on the pitch when Arsenal need them most.
That points to a shift in mentality, not just an improvement in footballing ability, which could seemingly be put down to Arteta based on his comments to the Telegraph.
As Arsenal continue to bring through more gems like Saka, such as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, the sky really is the limit for them with a deep thinker in Arteta overseeing their development.
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