Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Arteta in training with Arsenal (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images, Hayters)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has issued a clear warning to his players who are thinking about next summer’s World Cup rather than the club’s interests.
At Friday’s press conference, Arteta was asked by reporters about the status of players such as Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus, who are not always getting the playing time they would like.
Nwaneri may have an outside chance of breaking into England’s squad for next summer’s tournament, but he currently has limited first-team appearances for Arsenal, making just three starts so far this season, none of which have featured in the Premier League.
But check out the video below. Arteta dismissed questions about Nwaneri and Jesus, claiming it was a “very bad approach” for a player now looking at the World Cup.
Mikel Arteta warns Arsenal players at World Cup
First asked about Nwaneri’s role in the team, Arteta defended his record of giving the 18-year-old the most chances early in his career.
He said: “Probably looking at the situation he is in, he is 18 years old and has played 50 games for the club.
“I’d like to know how many people in English football have those numbers at that age.”
When asked about players such as Nwaneri and Jesus and the World Cup, Arteta made it clear that it would be a big problem for him if anyone in his team prioritized the World Cup over the rest of the season for Arsenal.
He added: “In my opinion, that’s a really bad approach. This approach should involve as much of the team as possible, and the rest is the result.”
“If someone is trying to prioritize something for the World Cup, I think we have a big problem.”
