Raheem Sterling is determined to be a part of Arsenal's “togetherness” and says his new club is a “perfect fit” for him. The 29-year-old is keen to make an immediate impression at Emirates Stadium after sealing a loan move from Chelsea on Deadline Day as he explained how happy he was that Arsenal wanted to bring him in.
“I’m buzzing. It’s one where we left it late but it’s one I was hoping for,” Sterling told the club’s website “Looking at everything, I’m just like: ‘this is a perfect fit for me’, and I’m super happy that we got it over the line.“It’s a perfect fit for myself to be at a football club like this, where you can see that hunger, that desire, year on year, they are pushing and pushing and pushing. That’s exactly how I am as a person.
“Each year you want to get better and do better than the previous year. Hopefully I can gel really well with the boys and get going. It’s time now to meet the boys, get settled in and hopefully now see some game time and make my mark.”
Mikel Arteta worked with the forward at Manchester City, where the Arsenal manager was assistant to Pep Guardiola from 2016 to 2019. The prospect of playing under him again convinced Sterling to switch to north London and he can’t wait to be a part of the close bond that Arteta has created.
“I’ve been watching his journey because I spent some time with him at Manchester City, and to see him come in here and stamp his mark on this amazing football club, with this amazing history, it says a lot about him and the great job he is doing here,” Sterling continued. “You can see the real togetherness, the journey that the boys are on, and the hunger. The togetherness is something I’m looking to be a part of.
“I’m really excited. There are always challenges and this is another challenge. It’s one that I’m relishing and I’ll really go out there and do my thing.”