An 18-month loan spell with Paris St-Germain in the early 2000s helped shape Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta into one of the brightest tactical minds in the game.
In January 2001 Mikel Arteta left Barcelona for Paris St-Germain in a move that would ultimately help transform one of the most intelligent midfielders of his generation into one of the game’s top coaches.
PSG were yet to become French football’s dominant force but had progressed to the second group stage of the Champions League and boasted several big names of their own, including Jay-Jay Okocha, Nicolas Anelka and Mauricio Pochettino.Arteta barely spoke any French, but a small contingent of Spanish speakers helped him settle quickly into life in Ligue 1 and despite his tender years, the teenager made a big impression at the Parc des Princes.
“Arteta was a quiet man but already displayed the steely determination we see in him today. Like most Barcelona players he was technically excellent, but the most surprising and impressive aspect of his game, given his age, was his tactical awareness.” Victory in that summer’s Intertoto Cup earned Les Parisiens a place in the first round proper of the 2001-02 Uefa Cup.
“The team had style on the pitch,” Fernandez, who remembers Arteta as a player with “good etiquette and behaviour”, told The Athletic last year. “They always met my expectations in relation to the system and the organisation. We were able to make them evolve and grow as players. I am happy to have been able to help them, and Mikel.”
Fernandez had reportedly made the permanent acquisition of Arteta one of his top priorities, but despite holding a purchase option for the midfielder, PSG were beaten to his signature by Alex McLeish’s side, who agreed a deal in March for Arteta to join in the summer.
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