“He pulled my ear” – Arsenal star highlights how Arteta has developed him, Gunners staff also key

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães has hailed the work done by Mikel Arteta on him in particular, but insisted it’s a collaborative effort.

The centre-back has been speaking to TNT Sports about his development under Arteta in their time working together.

Magalhães has developed into one of the leading defenders in Europe for Arsenal since joining from Lille in a €26m deal in September 2020.

That’s largely been helped by his partnership with William Saliba in the heart of Arsenal’s defence, providing the foundation of their title challenges in recent years.

Like many players in the Arsenal squad, though, the 26-year-old has benefitted greatly from the work done by Mikel Arteta and his team behind the scenes.

The Spanish boss has become adept at helping to develop players and help them reach their potential, with several in the squad currently considered to be among the best in Europe thanks to their performances under the Arsenal boss.

Magalhães is one of them and admits he’s benefitted greatly from working under Arteta and his team.

“I think a lot of things, it’s hard to say how much,” he said when asked about his development.

“But a lot, how much he helped me, how much he spoke to me every day, he pulled my ear, he said it was like this, like that, and I was sure he was angry, but I put it in my head that it was for my own good.

“So today, for sure, everything I’ve improved, everything I’ve gone through, the best version, I believe he has a lot, he’s a big part of it, not just him, but all the staff at Arsenal and also the players.”