Mikel Arteta Addresses Arsenal's Handling of Player Exits

Mikel Arteta has pushed back hard against claims that Arsenal mishandled the exits of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, insisting difficult conversations did take place and that he was “very surprised” by the Brazilian striker’s version of events.

Jesus, who joined Barcelona in a £12.5m move, recently revealed his anger at being told to train away from the senior group before the transfer, saying “nobody told me anything.” His comments reopened a debate already simmering after club legend Ian Wright criticised Arsenal’s treatment of Martinelli, who was frozen out of early-season squads before completing a £60m switch to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.

Arteta faced those accusations head-on in his media duties on Friday and made it clear he does not recognise the story being told.

“Very surprised, to be fair, especially because with Gabi [Jesus] I had an individual talk in the dressing room,” he said. “I don’t know what words were said, it is fine.”

Arteta stressed that his final exchanges with Jesus were anything but hostile.

“The words we used for each other, it was all about gratitude,” he explained. “I don’t know, it is OK. Sometimes I understand when you have to deliver bad news or news that people don’t expect, those things you can react to.”

The Arsenal manager did not dwell on the criticism. Instead, he reached for a recent example to show that relationships can survive the brutality of elite decision-making.

He namechecked Leandro Trossard, who left for Besiktas in a £15m deal this summer. After Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, the Belgian was back in the home dressing room, laughing and embracing his former team-mates.

For Arteta, that scene is what really counts.

“Somebody has to be the bad cop. If I have to be, I have to be and I understand,” he said. “What is important is normally what happens three months later, six months later, when Trossard comes in, he is in the dressing room with us, the atmosphere and the relationship you have.”

That is the lens through which he hopes the Jesus and Martinelli situations will eventually be viewed. Both departures were high-profile. Both have now been followed by public criticism. Arteta, though, believes time will soften the edges.

“Things got so far with other players that they left, at some point the relationship has been really good,” he said. “I hope that is the same case.”

While the noise around former players grows louder, Arsenal’s current squad have little interest in getting dragged into a war of words. They travel to Sunderland on Saturday night intent on protecting their perfect start to the season and extending an early surge of momentum.

The mood in the camp is buoyant after Wednesday’s Champions League victory away to Napoli, a statement result that underlined the team’s growing maturity in Europe. That win brought a late scare when Ben White limped off in Italy, but Arteta moved quickly to calm any fears.

He confirmed the defender is “fine”, a significant boost given White’s importance across the back line. There is less certainty over Cristhian Mosquera, who is being assessed as he deals with a muscular problem.

Arsenal head to the Stadium of Light with a spotless league record, a European scalp in their pocket and a manager unafraid to be the “bad cop” when careers and emotions collide. The question now is simple: can they keep winning while the echoes of those exits continue to rumble in the background?