Mikel Arteta told he got ‘perfect’ Arsenal transfer wrong – ‘It’s not happened’

Arsenal legend Ian Wright is urging his former club not to sign Raheem Sterling on a permanent basis.

England striker Sterling has failed to impress since being loaned out by Chelsea at the deadline of the summer transfer window. And Wright believes it would be a misstep for Mikel Arteta to keep the 30-year-old at the Emirates beyond this season after providing just one assist in the Premier League.

“Raheem is having a hard time,” Wright said on his podcast. “I thought things would have changed for him after that little cameo against Man United, he looked sharp. That was the man we wanted to see.

“It hasn't happened nearly enough, that's fair to say. The way it looks, you get the impression that we are not going to sign him for the long term. So what does he have to lose besides stepping on it and blowing it up? I'd love to see him go there.

“That would show the fans that he's trying, that's what they want to see. When he joined, I thought it was a perfect move.”

Arsenal, who play Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, are six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after playing an extra match after throwing away their lead against Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

The Gunners are also in the midst of an injury crisis at both ends of the pitch, with centre-back William Saliba now paralysed. He joins four other defenders on the sidelines alongside key forwards Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.

But with Arteta celebrating five years in the Arsenal hotseat last month, Wright believes the club's board must back him to bring more success to the club.

“For the board, I still have 100 percent confidence in what this man is capable of, he has brought us so close,” Wright said. 'But he needs help. We may not get anything in January, but it's imperative that they make some big additions in the summer.

“You have to match the ambition of the players off the field. This team is on its knees, the board has to do something.”

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