Arteta Praises David as a Tremendous Signing Raising the Bar

Mikel Arteta was in no mood for transfer league tables, but he left no doubt about how highly he rates his goalkeeper.

Speaking before this weekend’s league fixture, the Spanish coach refused to label the shot-stopper as his “best” piece of business, yet his praise told its own story.

“I don't know – he's been a tremendous signing, there is no question about that,” Arteta said when pressed to rank the deal. “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 of expectation. The goalkeeper has not only settled; he has shifted the standard inside the dressing room. Performances from the back have become a reference point, not a pleasant surprise.

Arteta then lifted the lid on what he believes truly separates David from the rest: his head, not just his hands.

“I think it's his mentality,” the manager 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 early weeks, under the glare and noise that follow any high-profile arrival, could have gone another way. Instead, the goalkeeper pushed through, turned scrutiny into fuel and, in Arteta’s eyes, earned his place among the elite.

The label of “best signing” can wait. For Arteta, the real question now is whether the rest of the squad can keep pace with the level their goalkeeper has already set.