Arsenal 'lost their souls' before I turned them to title contenders - Mikel Arteta

Following a dismal stretch of form in the last weeks of the season, the Gunners came up painfully short, but Arteta has received high accolades for his development

After taking the lead in an unexpected title fight, Arteta's team forced Manchester City into the final few weeks of the 2022–23 Premier League season.

With the Gunners finishing in second place and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in seven years, the Spaniard has been credited with turning around the team's fortunes.

The Spanish international has spoken about how he met the Gunners and how they turned into title contenders.

In a lengthy interview, Arteta was questioned by the Spanish daily Marca regarding Arsenal's resurgence under his leadership.

The former Arsenal midfielder acknowledged that while working as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Man City, he had picked up on important problems at the team.

Speaking in an interview as reported by Daily Mail, Arteta said, “I was Pep's assistant at City, we were playing Arsenal and I saw that the soul of the club had been lost. There was no enjoyment, no feeling. 

“I knew there was the option of soon being in the other dugout and I knew we had to connect the team and the fans. 

“It was very clear to me. I drew a tree and its roots, and I said that the problem was ours. We had to cure all that, and cure it with people who were involved. Without that, there would be no fun for the fans. 

“Now I feel happy, we have a clear identity, there is unity and we are full of energy. That's the greatest thing. 

“From top to bottom, everyone is pushing in the same direction. We give the fan something to dream about and be proud of. And now, we have to win more.”

Arsenal will look to build on their strong showings from the previous one and once again contend for the league title.

The Gunners are currently in the transfer market, trying to recruit quality players for next season and have made moves for Kia Harvertz and Declan Rice.

The reasons behind Arsenal's interest in Kai Havertz, a forward who is anticipated to sign a £60 million transfer from London rivals Chelsea, were explained by Arteta.

Arteta said, “Kai has already shown a lot, including winning a Champions League. He is a talented, versatile player and only 24 years old.

“Talent has a price and, at Arsenal, we are always interested in young players with experience. 

”Again, I'm not talking about players from other clubs, but, in the case of Kai, he has already shown a lot, including a Champions League. He is a talented, versatile player and he is only 24 years old.”

Havertz will be Arsenal's first signing this summer and will join the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in attack next season.