Arsenal and Real Madrid have had a good relationship over the course of the past three decades and have benefitted one another with transfers in both directions. Some have worked and others haven’t but Mikel Arteta’s introduction to the dynamic between the two sides has created a period of regret and intrigue.
Working backwards, Arsenal sold Nicolas Anelka in 1999 to Los Blancos and Arsene Wenger used the money to the Arsenal Training Centre which has continued to improve all the way through Arteta’s playing days and now management. In that time through to the Spaniard’s appointment in 2020, the two sides have seen the likes of Davor Suker, Julio Baptista and Mesut Ozil make a switch between the sides.
Arteta arrived and inherited his own Real Madrid prodigy, Dani Ceballos. The Spaniard had been struggling to establish himself since his move from Real Betis where he’d gained a reputation as a technical midfielder that could provide a threat in the final third.
