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Edu’s comments when Arsenal signed Raheem Sterling are now very alarming after his lack of minutes

Lucas Arnold

Wed 8 January 2025 17:45, UK

Raheem Sterling returned to the bench for Arsenal during their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Sterling failed to feature for Arsenal as a substitute, an unde꧟rstandable decision given that he’s just returned from inj💞ury.

However, Mikel Arteta has often overlooked the England international strictly on a tact🦂ical basis𒐪 this season – he’s been on the bench 11 times as an unused sub.

In total, Sterling has now made four starts for theꦡ Gunners and seven appearances off of the bench, totalling 426 minutes in red.

However, when the Chelsea winger originally arrived in north London on loan, former sporting director Edu Gaspar was ver𝕴y optimistic about what he could bring to the 💯club.

Edu admitted that Arsenal ‘never planned’ to sign Raheem Sterling

Unfortunately for tho🐬se invested in Arsenal’s success, Sterling hasn’t been able to provide anything like the impact Edu imagined.

And his comments in an intꦯerview shortly after deadline day was conclud❀ed, now look very bizarre.

READ MORE: Brighton open💝 talks to steal £25m signing ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea

Edu stated that Sterling wasn’t a target for the club origi൩nally, something that now seems apparent when considering his lack of chances.

Speaking in September, Edu spoke candidly: “Well, to be fair, we never planned, really, to sign him when we started the transfer window, yeah, just to be very transparent, for differentꦍ reasons.

“But we always say to everyone, you have to be prepared for every scenario, so when that opportunity came to me, and I checked our squad, I checked how he plays, I spoke to Mikel of course, I s♍poke to Tim, our vice-chairman, to check if everyone is comfortable for the step that we’re going to make (signing Sterling on loan).

“Makes a lot of sense to have someone like hꩵim because I’m pretty sure that he’s going to add a lot in the squad, so he has experience – he understands more than anyone, the league.

“He🔥 plays Champions League many times, won the Premier League a few times as well, so I think he can add a lot to our squad.”

Mikel Arteta needs to trust Raheem Sterling after Bukayo Saka injury

Of course, Arsenal have now lost Bukayo Sa▨ka for a long period, who is beginning his recovery from hamstring surgery.

Ethan Nwaneri is also in the treatment room, meaning Sterling’s recent return should be a big boos🦩t.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are both seriously out o🐷f for🔯m, two players lacking in confidence.

Now, Arteta will surely have to trust Sterling’s ab💟ility and experience to help Arsenal throug🎶h this difficult period.

Otherwise, Arsenal need to sign a Saka replacement, and there’s one staring them in the face close by in Lon🎐don.