Granit Xhaka labels Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta a freak

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Granit Xhaka has told ESPN that Mikel Arteta is a freak, while he suggested that he would rate the Arsenal boss as one of the best managers he has had in his career.

Arteta has certainly taken the Gunners forward. He obviously won the FA Cup in his first few months in charge. But it has been in the last two years where the club have really improved.

They have adopted a clear strategy in the transfer market. The Gunners now have a squad largely made up of a number of hungry players several years from their peak.

That will definitely benefit Arsenal in the coming years. But Xhaka clearly thinks that holding onto Arteta for as long as possible will really make a difference in North London.

The midfielder provided an insight into what working with the Spaniard is really like. And he had extremely high praise for the Arsenal boss.

Xhaka told ESPN: “He helped me a lot when I was completely down. He took me aside, helped me with small things, step by step, tactically, as a person, mentality, between the team and the club, tried to help me as well with the fans.

“He is a freak in a positive way. Tactically, he knows everything. How he prepares the team before training, before the games, is unbelievable. I had a lot of coaches, but I have to put Mikel as one of the top ones in my career.”

Granit Xhaka labels Mikel Arteta a freak

Arteta has had to deal with criticism for much of his tenure. And, from the outside, there have been times when he appeared to be on the verge of getting sacked.

However, he has clearly never moved away from his beliefs. And that conviction has surely helped drive Arsenal forward, particularly in the last 12 months.

He has a group of players who completely buy into what the boss wants.

There is always pressure at a club as big as Arsenal. But he will soon have another point to prove. Much of the summer has been spent suggesting that Gunners fans would have taken fifth place had they been offered it last year.

Now however, the expectations are higher again. Arsenal fans want to see the side take that next step and improve further.

Xhaka is clearly optimistic that Arteta can take Arsenal there.