Mikel Arteta Rules Out Rumors of Sterling’s Early Departure

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Mikel Arteta has addressed speculation about whether Arsenal will cut short Raheem Sterling’s loan deal this month.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has ruled out the possibility of ending Raheem Sterling’s loan spell early to facilitate the signing of another player. Despite Arsenal’s current attacking crisis following injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, Arteta confirmed that they are not considering cutting short Sterling’s loan from Chelsea.

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Sterling, who has struggled to make a significant impact since joining Arsenal, was again subdued in the recent 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb. However, Arteta emphasized that they are not thinking about sending Sterling back to Chelsea at this stage.

The Gunners are currently limited to only two players on loan from Premier League clubs, and with goalkeeper Neto also on loan from Bournemouth, they cannot recruit another Premier League player on a temporary deal unless one of the current loans is terminated.

Arteta remains focused on finding the right player within the club’s financial and strategic limitations, stating, “We have certain resources, the ability to recruit certain players, develop certain players, use certain players from the academy. It’s a balance of what we can do.