Arteta reveals his personal transfer ‘disaster’

Robin Bairner

• 16 May 2024 10:30 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reveals the one transfer that he wishes he hadn’t made in his career, describing the decision he made as a “disaster”.

Arteta’s deal does not come from his time in charge of the Gunners but instead is an incredibly personal one as it one that he himself made during his playing career.

It took him away from Rangers, where he played in Scotland, back to his homeland where his parents were in the midst of a divorce.

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Arteta, who also played for Barcelona B and PSG, made the move because he felt he could save their marriage, but it didn’t work and neither did his move to Real Sociedad.

He told the BBC Sport: “I felt so guilty. I didn't know if that was because of me and trying to pursue my dream. I feel very responsible for that.

“I never felt that it was the right call [to move back to Spain], but I had a duty and I wanted to reconnect my parents and my family again.

“It was a disaster. It never worked in that sense. I never felt connected in any moment.”

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Arteta on Everton: I loved every minute

Arteta departed Spain in 2005 to move to Everton, which was a deal that got his career back on the right path.

“Straight away, you connect with the team; you connect with the players; you connect with the staff; you connect with the supporters and it flows. And that feeling is needed,” he said.

“You feel confident, you feel excited every morning to get off your bed and go to training. I loved every minute."

Six years later, meanwhile, he moved to Arsenal as a player, where he became a vocal presence in the dressing room.

“I started to talk and I started to get everybody connected - 'Come on, let's do this, guys'. I was so excited,” he says.

“I'm going to do everything. I'm going to break every wall here. We have to make this happen.”

In total Arteta played 150 matches for Arsenal, scoring 16 goals.