Mikel Arteta pulled the plug on Rob Holding’s departure in the final moments.
Arsenal’s head coach sees the 25-year-old playing a very important role in his squad this season.
That was not the sense fans got when Holding was linked with exit rumours. And then, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported last month that Newcastle United had agreed a deal to sign him on loan for the season.
Arsenal need to clear their wage books with an overflowing squad and Holding was supposed to be one of the first names to go. However, Arteta thinks the Englishman’s services will be needed after all, starting him in the season opener against Fulham.
“I said to him, change your mind because you are not going anywhere,” he told BT Sport. “Rob is another one that stands for every value that we want at the football club. He had a really difficult time but he trained and pursued his dream to play for this football club.
“Now why would I have to let him go? You are already playing so what else do you want?”
There are several names pushing for one of those centre-back posts at Arsenal. David Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers are out injured for the time being and William Saliba is still only 19 years old.
Holding will have to keep performing as consistently as he has been recently to keep his place in the side.
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