Arsenal source reveals Mikel Arteta was ‘seriously unhappy’ with one thing the club did last summer

Club sources disclosed that Mikel Arteta was left “seriously unhappy” about a situation Arsenal encountered last year.

Since being appointed manager in 2019, Arteta has masterminded a significant transformation in Arsenal’s fortunes, turning a struggling team into Premier League title contenders.

The Spanish manager has employed some unconventional methods during his tenure, such as hiring pickpockets to take his players’ phones and wallets and adopting a club dog named Win to symbolize the “Arsenal family.”

Arteta is meticulous in all aspects of his work, including Arsenal’s pre-season preparations.

Like many top European clubs, Arsenal travels internationally for pre-season tours every summer.

In 2023, Arsenal played several matches in the United States, including a friendly against Barcelona at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

According to MailSport, Arteta was “seriously unhappy” with the pitch condition for that game, which led to a 30-minute delay as ground staff worked on fixing issues with various tools.

Arteta was so displeased that he expressed his concerns to the stadium’s management team, who assured the club that the issue would not recur in 2024.

To honor that commitment, preparations for Arsenal’s visit to SoFi Stadium this summer started last year. The grass for the pitch began growing last year, with stadium officials making monthly visits to monitor its progress.

Arsenal returned to the stadium last month to face Manchester United, with the pitch appearing to be in improved condition.

It’s uncommon for clubs to go to such lengths ahead of their pre-season tours, but Arteta is clearly thorough in his approach.

Arsenal has since returned to London in preparation for their Premier League opener against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 17.