When Mikel Arteta had that crucial meeting with Declan Rice that fully convinced the midfielder to join Arsenal, it went well beyond his place in this team. It was about his place in what the Spaniard hopes could one day become a dynasty. Arteta told Rice that Arsenal would continue to be a fine side without him. With him, however, they could be a side to define an era.
Arteta is always studying different psychological approaches, and he would naturally have read Sir Alex Ferguson's with Roy Keane. The Manchester United great gave his captain a similar speech on signing him in 1993.
