MIKEL ARTETA cannot wait to become properly reacquainted with his family after 18 months with hardly a day off.
The Arsenal manager is counting down the days until he can take a well-earned holiday with wife Lorena and their three sons.
But even when he is on the beach he will remain in constant contact with his Emirates bosses, plotting a huge summer shake-up of his squad.
He said: “This summer I need to smile, laugh and enjoy all the things we didn’t have the opportunity to do last year.
“I am very lucky because I could not ask for anything else from my family, starting with my wife. She understands every situation.
“Then I have three boys and two dogs and I cannot describe the energy they create when I come into the house and the love they give when they hug me.
“Now I need to give some of that love back and this summer I cannot wait to have the boys jumping over me all the time.
“We need to take this opportunity to reconnect with the people closest to us.”
Yet Arteta, whose side face Crystal Palace tonight, will not be able to completely switch off from his job.
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He said: “I have to reflect on what we have done this season and be very critical of myself.
“There are some things I have faced that are part of everyday management and some that are unprecedented.
“I always faced them in the best possible way, trying to be as fair, honest and as analytical as possible.
“I can tell you with 100 per cent certainty that we’ve done a couple of things wrong, so now I have to reflect on how I am going to make better decisions and get the best out of this club with the resources we have.
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“I have spent a lot of time and effort identifying critical points to change — and I see these changes as a big opportunity for our future.”
One player who will not be part of that future is defender David Luiz, with Arteta confirming that the 34-year-old Brazilian will be leaving when his contract expires this month.
ARSENAL (likely): Leno, Chambers, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Partey, Ceballos, Saka, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Aubameyang.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
