“He lives and breathes football,” Monreal recalled. “I remember in his final season at Arsenal, Santi Cazorla and I went to his house, and he was sitting in front of the TV taking notes.
"It was as if he were already preparing for the future. From that moment, I knew he was meant to be a manager.”
Surprised by Arteta’s impact
While Monreal had expected Arteta to succeed as a coach, he admits even he was taken aback by just how impressive his compatriot has been in the dugout.
“Honestly, I’ve been really surprised by how well he’s done,” Monreal said. “I knew he’d be a good manager, but I didn’t expect him to have this level of impact at Arsenal. He’s been exceptional since he arrived, and I’ve been hugely impressed.
“I think you can say he’s among the top five managers in the world right now. Even if they haven’t yet won the Premier League or Champions League, every time you watch them play, they’re outstanding, dominant and often far superior to their opponents.
“Of course, Arsenal fans want trophies, but the work they’re doing at the moment is incredible. I truly believe all the major honours and recognition are very close now.
"They’re favourites for the Premier League, and I think that’s absolutely fair. Even if they don’t win, I don’t think he’ll be under much pressure. What he’s achieved at Arsenal is remarkable.”
Monreal highlighted Arteta’s transformation of the club. “He’s taken them from eighth in the league to title contenders every season," he said.
"When he arrived, the club was in a tough spot, but he’s completely transformed it and brought Arsenal back to where they belong. I think Arsenal will win it, they look more solid than Manchester City and Liverpool. They’re very consistent and have only dropped seven points so far.”
Confidence in Isak’s future at Liverpool
Turning to another former teammate, Monreal spoke about Alexander Isak, whose start at Liverpool has been challenging.
“It’s been tough for Alexander. He clearly wanted to join Liverpool at the start of the summer, but the move only happened at the very end, so he missed pre-season. That’s affected his fitness a lot,” Monreal said.
“He’s still not at his best and needs more minutes on the pitch, but when he does, I have no doubt he’ll prove to be one of the Premier League’s top strikers. He’s shown it at Newcastle over the last few seasons, and he’ll do the same at Liverpool. I’ve seen his quality first-hand; it’s only a matter of time before he shows it in a red shirt.
“In my opinion, he’s a brilliant signing. He needs time to get fully fit, but once he does, people will see what he’s capable of. They paid a lot of money for him, but that’s normal for a top striker. Once he’s scoring 20-plus goals a season, nobody will care about the transfer fee.”