As Arsenal’s sporting director Edu acknowledged in the early hours of Saturday morning, signing Raheem Sterling was never part of Arsenal’s plan. But when the chance to reunite with the England forward came up, after Mikel Arteta struck up a close relationship with him during his spell as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, the Arsenal manager didn’t hesitate.
There had been a hint in the Spaniard’s press conference before their win at Villa Park last week that Sterling might end up at Arsenal. Arteta had been asked whether there was any temptation to give him a call after Chelsea had made it clear the 29-year-old was no longer part of their plans.
