Arsene Wenger has admitted that signing Santi Cazorla from Malaga was a gamble because the midfielder was unproven, however, Robert Pires assured him that the little Spaniard was the real deal.

When we signed Cazorla in 2012, we were excited because we knew he was a talent but very few people predicted the player he would go on to develop into under Wenger. The 30-year-old is our little midfield maestro, conducting our play expertly from the centre of the pitch.

Speaking about Cazorla recently, Wenger said, “You could question whether he was physically equipped to play in the tough Premier League.

“It’s true that I had that doubt, but his quality was so big that I was ready to take that gamble.

“His technical quality, his right foot, left foot, his availability, his vision and the quality of his passing made me go for it.

“I thought, ‘If there is a team in the Premier League where he has a chance to make it, it’s with us.’ That’s why I went for it.”

Fascinatingly, the boss actually revealed that he had an unlikely talent scout keeping an eye on Cazorla, reassuring Wenger that Cazorla was cut out for the Premier League.

“I think I first saw him when he was about 20 or 21,” he said. “He was not a regular player, but in some games we watched you could see he had talent.

“After that Robert Pires moved to Villarreal and played with him. Sometimes I asked Robert, ‘Are there any good players there?’

“He said to me straight away, ‘Cazorla is a fantastic player’. So Robert was a scout for me! He at least confirmed the impression I already had about Santi.”

Fortunately, it appears Pires has an eye for talent as Cazorla has gone on to become a world class midfielder for Arsenal. He’s one of the first names on the team sheet and a player we’d really miss.