Mikel Arteta has done everything he can to try and help Arsenal win the Premier League title, but they keep falling short.
The London club are only days away from starting the new Premier League campaign – they open their account at home to Wolves, before several tricky away fixtures, including at Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City last season and that will still be fresh in the minds of everyone associated with the club.
Unlike two seasons ago, when they bottled a big lead at the top, the Gunners did everything they could to dethrone the might of Pep Guardiola’s side last term and just didn’t have enough.
Since then, Arsenal have signed Riccardo Calafiori to further boost their defensive backline.
But that isn’t the only thing Arteta has done to try and get one over on his old mate at Manchester City.
Recently, Arteta hired professionals to pickpocket his players and warn them that they need to stay alert at all times.
It’s fair to say that these latest actions from the Spanish coach have received a mixed reaction – some have suggested the Arsenal players aren’t listening to Arteta.
And now Roy Keane has shared his thoughts on the matter, with the outspoken pundit being involved in a fiery argument with Ian Wright about it all.
The Manchester United legend couldn’t help but poke fun at Arsenal by saying ‘they will definitely win the league this year’, before Wright explained why Arteta is going down this road.
But Keane passionately told his fellow pundit that he is ‘getting defensive’ about Arsenal and that Arteta is playing ‘mind games’, as he told the Stick to Football Podcast.
Mikel Arteta hires professional pick-pocketers
“Oh, they will definitely win the league this year,” responded Keane to the laughter of everyone else.
Wright made it clear: “It’s the margins he is trying to close.” And Keane screamed in the background “Wrighty, you don’t have to defend him.”
The former Arsenal striker then responded: “I am trying to explain why he would do something like that. He, in his mind, believes that he has to do something else to put something else in their minds.”
Keane added: “We know that, Ian! We know that,” Wright then asked: “Why can’t I say that?” To which Keane responded: “But you don’t have to get defensive about Arsenal. You are getting defensive.”
Wright then hit back: “How am I getting defensive when I am just explaining what the guy has done.” Keane then explained: “We know what he is doing. He is playing mind games.”
Arsenal in the summer transfer market
In terms of incomings, it has been a fairly quiet window from the London club, but could they bring in one more face before the window slams shut?
Sources have told HITC when Arsenal want the Mikel Merino deal done, with the midfielder on a high after winning Euro 2024 with Spain.
READ MORE: 50 MOST LIKELY PREMIER LEAGUE, EFL AND EUROPEAN SUMMER 2024 FOOTBALL TRANSFERS
If Arsenal can get that transfer over the line, then it will be huge for the midfield and take them to even higher levels.
Arsenal don’t have any issues with their starting XI, it’s the depth they need and a player like Merino coming in would certainly bring that.
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