William Gallas is confident Raheem Sterling has found his perfect club and believes the Chelsea flop will be rejuvenated by his move to Arsenal.
With their primary targets out of reach, the Gunners looked unlikely to strengthen their forward line in the summer until the final day of the transfer window.
Having been deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, Arsenal launched an audacious move for a player who had previously thrived under Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta at Manchester City.
Sterling watched from the stands as his new club played out a 1-1 draw against Brighton prior to the international break, but will be in contention to make his Arsenal debut in Sunday’s north London derby.
Gallas had previously admitted he had been disappointed with Sterling’s contributions for Chelsea but is sure the 29-year-old will thrive in a more settled environment alongside some familiar faces.
‘I think this can be a very good move for Raheem Sterling,’ Gallas told Prime Casino.
‘It looks like it will be a positive move for Arsenal, and you can see that Sterling looks really, really pleased to have joined the club. I’ve seen the pictures of him in training; he looks happy. He looks relaxed. His body language looks good, at Chelsea, that wasn’t the case.
‘I don’t know if this is true, but I look at him, I hear the things he’s said about Arsenal since he joined, maybe he always wanted to play for the club. He’s a London boy, maybe this is the shirt that he’s always wanted.
‘When I said it wouldn’t be a loss if he left Chelsea, that was fair. He didn’t show his ability at the football club. It’s simple. He has an opportunity to show people what he’s all about as a player, and perhaps working with a manager that knows him, will help him do that.
‘Arsenal have got a lot of wingers, but he adds to that. They need a striker, and they didn’t get one. It would be very good news for the club and Mikel Arteta if Sterling can score goals. I’ve got a feeling that he may just do that playing for Arsenal.’
On the brutal way in which he was exiled by Chelsea, Gallas added: ‘I’m sure that Raheem Sterling will have a point to prove, that’s what I would expect from a player with his background and pedigree.
‘But at the same time, he can’t have any complaints about getting moved out of Chelsea. It’s his fault because he didn’t perform while he was there.
‘He wasn’t good enough. Chelsea wouldn’t have been so happy to let him go if he delivered, but he didn’t.
‘It’s easy for players to blame the manager or the club when things don’t work out, but the reality is, Sterling had plenty of chances at Chelsea and he didn’t deliver.’