Mikel Arteta 'sent clear message' to Arsenal staff after argument with coach

23 May 2024 , 08:47

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Mikel Arteta [L] and Steve Round had a disagreement over whether to sign David Raya (Image: (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images))

Mikel Arteta sent a clear message to his Arsenal staff after a row with one of his top assistants.

Goalkeeper David Raya was one of four major signings the Gunners made last summer as they looked to build on an impressive 2022/23 season, which saw them finish as runners up in the Premier League. That proved a hugely controversial decision both in the media and among the Gunners' fan base as Ramsdale was a popular figure at the club who had been expected to remain as Arsenal’s No.1 for a decade to come.

Arsenal signed Raya on loan from Brentford for an initial £3million, plus a £27m option to make it permanent, on August 15. But the decision also sparked divisions among the Arsenal staff, with assistant coach Steve Round being one of those against the transfer, according to The Athletic.

Round, who first coached Arteta as an assistant to David Moyes at Everton and joined the north Londoners in 2019, was the manager’s most trusted lieutenant along with Albert Stuivenberg. Yet he took issue with their approach for Raya, feeling that replacing Englishman Ramsdale would disrupt Arsenal’s carefully cultivated culture due to his popularity among the staff and players.

He also believed that the club were better off spending in other positions instead of allocating more resources to the goalkeeping department, as Ramsdale had signed a fresh deal just months earlier. But Arteta’s decision reigned supreme in the end.

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The disagreement reportedly played a role in Round parting ways with Arsenal, with news of his departure by 'mutual agreement' being announced in July 2023, before Raya was even signed. It is understood that this sent a strong message to the rest of Arteta’s staff that the Gunners were always looking for creative solutions and would look to improve even if it was by the smallest of margins.

Raya [L] quickly replaced Aaron Ramsdale as first choice goalkeeper during the season ((Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))

Arteta promoted coaching prodigy Carlos Cuesta, 28. The highly-rated Mallorcan, who speaks six languages, has become an increasingly influential figure at London Colney, even showing off his coaching chops in Amazon Prime’s ‘All or Nothing’ 2022 documentary.

Cuesta’s promotion was also to show Arteta’s younger staff that there was a pathway for them to ascend up the ranks with Arsenal.

After Raya’s arrival, Arteta caused a stir when he stated in a press conference that he would look at potentially substituting goalkeepers during games when needed. The Spanish stop-stopper made his debut against Everton before ousting Ramsdale completely for the No.1 spot by September 17.

Carlos Cuesta [pictured] was promoted in Round's stead (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

He endured a shaky first few months and made some high profile errors, which Arteta and his staff believed were down to the level of high scrutiny he was facing. Yet the 28-year-old soon repaid his manager's faith - his 16 clean sheets this season were a Premier League high and earned him the Golden Glove award as Arsenal fell just two points short of the title.

His transfer will become permanent this summer with contract terms already agreed. Ramsdale, meanwhile, is expected to leave.

The England goalkeeper had to remain content with his role on the bench for the majority of the season. He featured just twice, both times against Brentford, since he was dropped due to Raya being unavailable to face his former club.

Kasra Moradi