Feeder club? Arsenal are now the destination under Mikel Arteta

For years, Arsenal was seen as a ‘feeder club’ to Europe’s elite, but with Mikel Arteta overseeing a dramatic culture shift, that could now be a thing of the past.

Oh, how times change. With Arteta’s Arsenal now on the upward curve, the club and its fans are reaping the benefits from an injection of success.

We remember when Arsenal used to be a selling club. Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, and Robin van Persie left the Gunners because the grass was greener elsewhere. However, that isn’t the case anymore.

Feeder club? Arsenal are now the destination under Mikel Arteta

With Arteta’s revolution in full swing, we are bearing the fruits of the Gunners finally becoming a destination club again.

Three of Arsenal’s best players in Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and William Saliba have all put pen to paper on long-term deals with the club.

Why? Because of what Arteta has and is going to build in north London. A rigid work ethic and a willingness to get the best out of players, along with putting together a game style that nearly brought the Premier League title back to north London for the first time since 2004.

In years gone by, there would have been a genuine fear of Arsenal’s best being poached by rival clubs or to the big spenders of world football. But not now.

The key to any rebuild, which the club has been on for the best part of a decade, is to retain those instrumental. The Gunners’ offseason is already seen as a win with the three contract extensions, and rightly so.

With the Gunners pushing Manchester City in the title race, many can see what is being built here, and more importantly, so can the players.

With Champions League football, the first stepping stone in Arteta’s revival secured, the next phase of his plan can begin to take shape, and that is drawing in world-class talent.

The days of fans wishing for a world-class player like Mesut Ozil are gone. Now, it’s an expectation.

Declan Rice’s impending move to north London is a statement, not only for Arsenal’s probable title charge next season but also that the Gunners are no longer a selling club. Instead, they can attract the best.

While it is still early in Arteta’s long-term plans, Arsenal have already flipped the script on a scourge that plagued them for years.

Gone are the days of feeding Europe’s aristocracy, now Arsenal dine on the exploits of others and can attract key players from other clubs.

With a big summer ahead, Arsenal are slowly returning to where many fans know they should be: at the top of English football.

And being a destination club is one way Arteta is getting the club to where he wants it to be.