Mikel Arteta is conducting a strong reform at Arsenal. After two seasons of the missing championship, the Spanish coach determined that it was time to eliminate the “rank” system in the squad.
Maybe in the past, Arteta used to call this player, the other player was “A -class”. “But now I will change completely,” the Arsenal captain confirmed before the trip to Singapore.
Last season, Arteta acknowledged the difficulty in creating the atmosphere to “five full -backs felt like it was top”. This summer, two major contracts, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke, are also called “top” contracts.
But with Arteta, “top” now does not mean a small group of players in the squad, but the whole player. “Top” basically those who are capable of participating in the starting lineup “, the 43 -year -old strategist declared.
Until now, Arsenal classified players at levels: level one, level second and third level. However, Arteta wanted to eliminate the decentralization system that he thought was outdated.
“I no longer believe in the ranking system of ranks, second, third. Look at the rapid development of football, with the frequency of harsh competition up to 70, 75 matches per season”, “,
“Finally, we want to build Arsenal like other big clubs, where you look at the squad and cannot know who will play tomorrow. If we reach that level, the competitiveness will push to the highest level.
Arteta affirmed: “Now I will do it completely. Everything needs to change. I want to decide who can afford to play based on physical condition, not the ability to play football. Last season, we could not do that.”
“Last season, the main squad was almost fixed. I found 5 key players who could play completely 90 minutes. I found 5 more good players to install. And that frame had to plow for 7 months”
“We need to stay away from that, because it has limited the players' ability to play and the freshness needs at the end of the season.”
What Arteta is aiming for in the 2025/26 season is a squad that has enough depth to rotate continuously without affecting the quality of playing football. “Hopefully the new season will be different. I will choose the best squad on the field, but in any situation, there are equivalent replacements and individuals can change the situation,” Arteta said.
That is why Arsenal has strongly strengthened this summer with Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa and prepared as Victor Gyokeres. The depth of the squad is significantly improved. Arteta believes that if he has 20 players in his hands, Arsenal will get closer to the ambition to win the Premier League.
