IT’S A SIGN!

Arteta just loves all the deadline-day drama of the transfer window – and has a good reason for it

Emirates: Tomorrow, 2pm

MIKEL ARTETA claims to be one of the few managers who likes transfer-deadline day – after all, without it, he would probably not be sat in the Arsenal hot seat.

And as far as his kids are concerned, it is the best bit of being a football manager.

“It’s not that I hate the transfer window, it is completely necessary. It is a big part of our industry and a lot of people love it because of trading players,” he said.

“I am a fan as well. You want to see a player in your team, there is excitement – I have my kids playing all the time on computer games.

“So, it is part of the industry, and you have to pay attention to it because it is really important.

“It’s very exciting because, at the end, it’s the tools that you have to be able to do your job in the best possible way. You can dream about players that you can bring, and how you can develop them, and change certain positions to fit into what you want to do.”

In 2011, the Spaniard was involved in his own last-minute, transfer-window drama, when his move from Everton to Arsenal came close to the wire.

As a result, he is willing to show a bit of understanding if hi s players become distracted this weekend, despite the importance of the visit of Sheffield United to the Emirates tomorrow.

“I’ve been in that position and you can try y to be very y focused, but

I’M A GUNNER Mikel Arteta signed for Arsenal on deadline day in 2011 then you leave th e training ground, you get a phone call from the agent, a call from another manager, a call from another owner,” said Arteta, who made sure he signed Pierre-emerick Aubameyang to his new contract (below) in plenty of time.

“Your head is spinning, you have a family, you’re thinking about moving to a dif ferent country, different city. All this is part of your daily life.

“I ask them, ‘When you guys are here, try to be committed, focused and represent the club as well as possible’. But what happens sometimes is just not in our hands.

“I mean, my move was 15 minutes late! I know the nerves and the stress and uncertainty it generates. I’ve been there and that probably helps me to understand certain things when players feel like that.

“I wa s wa it i n g for that opportunity for a long time and when that fax came through, even if it was 15 minutes late to the Premier League, I was so happy and relieved. I think it was te the right gtt thing g to do.” do.