Mikel Arteta says there was chemistry with Technical Director Edu from their very first chat.
The Brazilian, a fellow ex-Arsenal midfielder, was instrumental in the recruitment of Unai Emery’s successor, interviewing candidates from across the globe before settling on the Spaniard.
On the day of the new head coach’s unveiling, Edu confirmed he’d been won over by a ‘fantastic’ phone call with Arteta in which they discussed organization and discipline. It appears he wasn’t the only one who appreciated the meeting of minds.
Speaking to the clubs official website Arteta agreed that there was an instant connection: “I don’t know, sometimes it happens with people, but he called me and we started to have a conversation which should have lasted just a few minutes and we went long.
“We shared a lot of things in our career and we have a lot of similarities.
“Then the way we were thinking about the situation and became very close and with the ideas, I agree with that. ‘I will do this,’ ‘me too’. It started to build that relationship like this. The chemistry was there from day one.
Arteta added: “He was part of the most exciting and successful times for this football club so he knows exactly what needs to be done.”
Edu and Arteta are due to sit down in the coming days to consolidate their plans for the January transfer window. Having lost Calum Chambers to a long-term injury, the club are thought to be scouring the market for a possible addition at center-back.