Gary Neville is ‘not sure’ Arsenal were fully supportive of Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign Raheem Sterling.
Arteta pushed Arsenal to bring Sterling to the Emirates Stadium after the England international was effectively banished from Chelsea by Enzo Maresca.
Maresca made it clear he would not be relying on Sterling this season after leaving Championship winners Leicester City to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling felt Arsenal were the ‘perfect fit’ for him but has struggled to make an impact for the Gunners, scoring just one goal in 21 appearances.
Neville doubts the Arsenal board wanted to sign Sterling but believes they were persuaded by Arteta, who presumably viewed the four-time Premier League winner as an option across the frontline.
Ex-Manchester United and England defender Neville even believes Sterling’s struggles at Arsenal played a part in the club failing to make any signings in January.
Arsenal were one of the few clubs not to bolster their squad during the January transfer window and the decision has undoubtedly backfired, with Arteta’s side since slipping 13 points behind Premier League champions-elect Liverpool.
‘Do you know what I think they’ve done? In the last part of the summer transfer window, I’m not sure Arsenal wanted to sign Raheem Sterling,’ Neville said on The Overlap with Sky Bet.
‘I’m not sure Arsenal, as a club, wanted him. I think Arteta’s thought Sterling can play in all the positions up top and has basically told the club to get him in as cover.
‘I think that’s what he said. He can play across the frontline so Arteta has looked at him as his second or third striker.
‘They’ve ended up backing him and I think that’s put them off doing another deal in January of the same ilk because they’re thinking we brought Sterling in and Arteta hasn’t really used him.’
Sterling started Arsenal’s victory over Leicester city earlier in the month but has dropped back to the bench for the last two games, a 1-0 defeat to West Ham and a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest.
Failing to beat Forest can Liverpool a chance to extend their lead at the top of the table even further and Arne Slot’s side did just that with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
Asked whether Arsenal’s title hopes were over after the Forest stalemate, Arteta said: ‘It’s about what we can do.
‘It was like this a week before, two weeks before, three months before. Today we dropped two points which is very painful, we have the Champions League, a beautiful competition in front of us.
‘I’m very disappointed not to win, the standard was different to the previous game [a 1-0 defeat to West Ham] with the energy and the willingness to make things happen.
‘We dominated the game, apart from one experience in the second half and one or two giveaways which allowed them to run. Apart from that nothing.
‘When we opened them up we lacked the quality in the final pass and delivery and be more efficient.’
Arsenal turn their attentions to the Champions League after the international break and a last-16 tie with PSV, currently second in the Eredivisie table.
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