FLORIDA CUP: ORLANDO CITY VS. ARSENAL FC

July 18, 2022

Mikel Arteta

Exploria Stadium

Arsenal FC

Media Conference

Q. (Off microphone)

MIKEL ARTETA: It's been really good. It was a good experience. The boys enjoyed it. We were treated really well. It was a good competitive match against Everton, and now into Florida.

Q. Two big games to come as well. How crucial is that ahead of the season coming up?

MIKEL ARTETA: They are test matches, so we want to try different things. We need to get the boys up to speed physically so as to build their minutes to get ready for the league and at the same time compete against two good teams.

Q. I'll tell you who is up to speed, Gabriel. How pleased are you to see them start like this?

MIKEL ARTETA: It's with a smile on his face. He feels important. He is bringing a special energy to the group. Obviously, our biggest bring-in because of the way he has been managed, handled, and the expectation that he had to fulfill when he was at City. He is doing naturally, yes.

Q. It's the shortest preseason because the Premier League starts a little bit earlier. How important is it to try to get your business done as quickly as possible?

MIKEL ARTETA: We've been trying to do that, and we have two recruitments already, and we're in the market to try to keep improving the squad, but there are so many parties involved that sometimes things are not as quick as you want.

Q. What's the update with Oleksandr Zinchenko? Are talks still underway?

MIKEL ARTETA: There is no updates with anybody. When there are updates, we will let you know.

Q. You've got plenty of left-backs at the moment, but is he the kind of player that would fit in your profile?

MIKEL ARTETA: We're looking at different options and different positions, and we'll give you an update when we have it.

Q. There's no other contingency of gunners coming in from all over, even from Canada. I know a person that traveled from Canada. What's your message to them, and what are you expecting ahead of --

MIKEL ARTETA: First of all, thank you. Thank you to all the fans that went with us in Baltimore because it was a spectacular attendance that we had.

I heard that we had almost sold out as well, so it tells you how big of a club Arsenal is and as well the level of engagement that the fans have with the team right now.

Q. How important is it for you a tournament such as FC Series ahead of a challenging Premier League season, like my colleague said, with impressive new signings?

MIKEL ARTETA: To get the team up to speed, to get the right equation in the team, the right game understanding, and then to be better as a team and to have the mentality that every game has to be won.

Q. Are you bold enough to give us a prediction for where Arsenal is going to finish next season?

MIKEL ARTETA: No. I can give you a prediction how the boys are going to train today and the next day and that's it. We will see what we do when we have finished all the business and we start the season, regroup, and put clear aims on what we have to achieve.

Q. Orlando City is coming up on Wednesday. What do you know about them?

MIKEL ARTETA: Sorry?

Q. Playing Orlando City on Wednesday. What do you know about them?

MIKEL ARTETA: Yeah, we've been watching them. We watched the game they played last Saturday, the game they're going to play the next Saturday.

A team that has evolved. It's a squad that has evolved a lot in the last few years. A beautiful stadium. We expect a tough match.

Q. (Spanish)

MIKEL ARTETA: (Spanish)

Q. (Spanish)

MIKEL ARTETA: (Spanish)

Q. Mikel, there have been quite a few out-goings. Are there some players coming back from loan that have gotten a second chance, an opportunity to prove themselves?

MIKEL ARTETA: Every player that is contracted by the club is treated in the same way, and everybody from day one has a clean sheet to start to build what they want to do in this football club. Then we have to make decision in relation to the needs and the level that they show.

Q. It's a big squad, though. Do you think you might need a bigger squad this year for World Cup --

MIKEL ARTETA: We said we're going to need a bigger squad than last season. Whether it is the right number right now, that's a question mark.

Q. How many more in an ideal world? It's been good so far. How many more incomings do you think or want?

MIKEL ARTETA: I cannot tell you. I want to focus on the players that we have today.

Q. Out-goings, though, you expect a few to leave?

MIKEL ARTETA: The same. They are here. They are with us until something different happens, and that's the way we treat them.