Arsenal Academy Manager, Per Mertesacker, is enjoying the headache that he is giving to Mikel Arteta as the academy continues to produce top talent for the first team.
The German was Arsenal’s vice-captain when Mikel Arteta was the club’s captain, and he is now the Academy Manager with the Spaniard at the helm.
He has helped the academy to prepare some players for the first-team and he claims that he enjoys the selection headache that they are creating for Arteta and he hopes to keep giving the Spaniard good youngsters who are ready to challenge the established first-team players.
Speaking to Ian Wright on his YouTube channel for Adidas Home Team, Mertesacker said: ‘We are really keen on giving Mikel Arteta a lot of headaches, you know.
‘He must be thinking, “What’s going on in the academy?” Every year there is the potential two, three players who can step onto that court. ‘But I know his standards, I know what he stands for, so I need to prepare the players really well so when they step into the first-team environment they are ready and prepared.’
The likes of Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock have developed from Arsenal’s academy to become important first-team players for the Gunners this season.
Arteta has also shown a serious appreciation for the work that is being done at the club’s academy by fielding the youngsters that have come from there and ready to play.
That is great work for per
Good job for Mikel Ateta