Arsenal: Cedric Soares proves Mikel Arteta will attract more signings

Upon signing for Arsenal, Cedric Soares spoke at length about the work that Mikel Arteta has undertaken. The Spaniard will attract more signings in the future.

Mikel Arteta has revolutionised Arsenal football club. That may seem like a big sentence to write after just a month of the Spaniard being in charge, but the underlying processes of the team have been utterly rewritten, so much so that the immediate future of the club has been changed irreversibly by replacing Unai Emery with the former Manchester City assistant.

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While this is obviously a clear positive for the trajectory of the team, Arteta’s high-quality coaching having a beneficial impact on the performances of the individual players and collective unit, it also has a secondary impact: players want to join in.

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This week, the Gunners unveiled the six-month loan acquisition of Southampton defender Cedric Soares. While the deal itself will not move the needle all that much, how Cedric speaks about his motivations to join the club is a clear indication of just how the legend of Arteta’s coaching is spreading. Speaking to the club website, Cedric said:

"“I’ve been watching the last couple of weeks and you can see that something changed, definitely. There is a lot of work to do but already his ideas have started to appear in the game, that is good. I am sure Arsenal will be very successful. I see a team that wants to assume the game, a team that is comfortable to have the ball, and I see everyone looks like they are working hard when they lose possession as well. There’s a high press and then it’s all about controlling the opponent and trying to score as well. I think Arsenal is in a good way.”"

It is reminiscent of how players used to talk about Arsene Wenger, who was equally as legendary for his coaching and development of young players. When Wenger signed Aaron Ramsey from Cardiff City in 2008, he snatched the midfielder away from the guise of Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, who were desperate to acquire the vastly gifted Welshman.

Later, Ramsey spoke about why he chose north London. ‘What he [Arsene Wenger] has done for so many players,’ Ramsey explained, ‘so many younger players and turned them into great players. I think that was what exciting for me and being a part of that.’ Ramsey chose the manager, not the club. He wanted to be at the Emirates because that is where Wenger would be, and he believed that Wenger would be the best man to manage his career.

Arteta obviously does not carry the same reputation and awe as Wenger, but just as players will choose to play for Manchester City because Pep Guardiola is there, the assistant to the great Catalan is now having the same impact.

Cedric wanted to join Arsenal not because it was a step up from Southampton, although that is certainly a part of the process; he wanted to sign for the Gunners because Arteta is the coach. And if Arteta continues to have the same effect as he has had, more players will think the same.