Mikel Arteta can take inspiration from Arsene Wenger after a recent video on Twitter left a lot of Arsenal fans reminiscing.
Wenger was seen laughing and smiling with former Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla, whom he had managed during his time as manager at the club.
Cazorla was considered a fan favourite and certainly one of the best performers in the squad, which comes down to his relationship with Wenger.
Arteta could look to replicate a similar relationship with Thomas Partey to get the best out of the Ghanaian, who has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League so far.
Partey signed for Arsenal in a £45 million deal from La Liga side Atletico Madrid in 2020, but he has yet to show the best of his abilities due to the time it has taken him to adapt, in addition to the number of injuries he has also received.
Arsène Wenger and Santi Cazorla reunited at the Arab Cup play-off match between Egypt and Qatar ❤️pic.twitter.com/5oFRHyKPqe
— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley_)
The midfielder himself has admitted he is yet to reach peak form in an Arsenal shirt. Speaking after the defeat to Manchester United, he said: “The team is improving, each and everyone is doing our best.
“For me, I have to keep on doing my best, keep trying, keep improving, try to come back to my best, because the team needs me, the team needs us.”
Since joining the club, Partey has shown glimpses of excellence, but not at the same level of quality performances he was putting in towards the end of his time at Atletico Madrid.
Arteta improving his personal relationship with the midfielder could help speed up the adaptation phase, as it worked with Wenger and Cazorla.
The Spaniard was also a midfielder to join from La Liga, and he took time to fully integrate into the squad.
The recent video between the two shows the close relationship they had, and that could have been a big pointer as to why Cazorla had an incredibly successful Arsenal career.
Not to mention that both of these figures could return to the club and install the Arsenal DNA that was present a few years ago.
Arteta has already hinted at the possibility of Wenger returning when speaking at the Frenchman's film premiere, as he said: “I would like to recover a lot of things that he did and I would like him to be more present at the club.
I think the players would love him, they will benefit, they will be inspired to have him around and I think for the club it would be a huge boost.”
The Arsenal manager has also touched on the potential return for Santi. Speaking last year, he said: "My opinion of Santi cannot be any higher.
"Personally, first, with the type of person he is and what he brings to that dressing room, but then also as a player for what he did throughout his career.
"About the coaching role and the future, we will see what happens."
Having both figures back at the club will not only help Arsenal improve, but it could give Arteta the pathway to getting the best out of players like Partey.
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