Arsenal star reveals the bizarre method Mikel Arteta used to convince him to sign last summer

Mikel Arteta persuaded one of Arsenal’s new signings to join the club last summer by using a very bizarre method, it has been revealed.

During his tenure as Arsenal manager, Arteta has been known to implement unique or unorthodox strategies in an effort to get the best out of his players, having once hired pickpockets to promote situational awareness.

His bizarre methods also include bringing a dog named ‘Win’ into the Gunners’ training ground and planting a 150-year-old olive tree to represent growth and resilience.

Although the Premier League title still eludes Arteta, the 42-year-old head coach has certainly succeeded at improving players since the start of his tenure in 2019 — and has also done an excellent job convincing top players to sign for the club and join his Gunners project.

Last summer’s £42million signing Riccardo Calafiori has shared how Arteta managed to persuade him to join the club last July from Serie A outfit Bologna.

When asked to explain why he joined Arsenal last summer, the defender told Italian outlet Rivista Undici e Cronache: ‘The first thing that comes to mind is the organisation. How much they care about each player from every point of view, both on the pitch and especially off the pitch.

He sent photos of Riccardo Calafiori’s family to the Italian defender in a bid to convince him

Calafiori was impressed by Arteta’s care and empathy and gave the move the green light

‘As for Arteta, I was immediately struck by how much he cared about getting to know me. One day on the phone he sent me some photos of my family and asked me to say what each member of the family meant to me.

‘Nothing like this had ever happened to me before, I’m not saying that he convinced me with this alone, but it certainly represented an important moment.’

Although Calafiori has endured a season somewhat blighted by injuries, the left-back has still played a key role for Arsenal in 26 matches across all competitions, sharing the position with breakthrough star Myles Lewis-Skelly and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Calafiori’s highlight moment of the season came when he scored a stunning equaliser against Manchester City, helping the Gunners to a 2-2 draw at the Etihad.

Despite featuring primarily at left-back this campaign, the Italian was brought in as a versatile defender to also operate at centre-half.

The 22-year-old heaped praise on Arteta for helping to develop his game, along with Italy manager Luciano Spalletti and his old Bologna boss Thiago Motta.

He added: ‘Thiago Motta and then Spalletti and Arteta changed me a lot, in terms of vision of the game, spaces to occupy, everything.

‘But I also think that there are many defenders with better characteristics than me, that’s why I work so much off the pitch and maybe that makes the difference.

Calafiori and Arteta embrace after the left-back scores a crucial equaliser against Man City

The 22-year-old defender is currently on international duty with Luciano Spalletti’s Italy

‘There are many things that I still don’t know how to do. Among these is the desire to learn to play in as many roles as possible.

‘For now, I feel like I know how to play two, I would also like to learn a third: midfielder. It is a role that has always fascinated me.’