Arteta Praises David as a Tremendous Signing for the Team

Mikel Arteta pushed away any talk of rankings or transfer league tables this week, but he didn’t hide just how central his goalkeeper has become to his project.

Facing questions before this weekend’s league fixture, the Spanish coach was asked outright if his current No 1 was the best piece of business of his tenure. Arteta refused to play that game, yet his answer still sounded like a glowing endorsement.

“I don't know – he's been a tremendous signing, there is no question about that,” Arteta said. “Whether he is the best or not is just an opinion. It doesn't matter, we are so happy to have him. He has elevated the team to a different level and now we have to maintain that level.”

That last line carried the weight. For Arteta, the debate isn’t about who tops a list of transfers. It’s about how the goalkeeper has changed the ceiling of the side and the standards they now have to protect.

Pressed on what has allowed David to handle the early strain and scrutiny that came with the role, Arteta went straight to mentality.

“I think it's his mentality,” he explained. “David has tremendous quality but he has overcome a lot of difficulties and challenges to reach this point. It wasn't easy at the beginning, he had to dig in and prove himself. Now, he has the right to be one of the best.”

Those words frame the keeper not just as a smart signing, but as a symbol of the resilience Arteta wants running through his dressing room: battle-tested, unflinching, and now expected to keep that “different level” as the new normal.