Ian Wright Criticizes Arsenal's Treatment of Gabriel Martinelli

Ian Wright has condemned the way Arsenal are handling Gabriel Martinelli as uncertainty over the winger’s future deepens.

The Brazilian has been at the centre of transfer noise all summer. Galatasaray held talks earlier in the window, while AS Roma have also been credited with an interest. Yet Martinelli has, according to reports, told Arsenal he does not want to leave for a league outside Europe’s top five, leaving his next step clouded in doubt.

What is clear, in Wright’s eyes, is that the 23-year-old is being frozen out.

Martinelli has been left out of both of Arsenal’s high-profile early fixtures – the Community Shield win over Manchester City and Friday night’s victory over Coventry City. New signing Christos Tzolis started and impressed in both games, with Arsenal actively seeking another left‑sided attacker to strengthen their options.

For a player who has delivered in big moments, that snub has not sat well with one of the club’s greatest forwards.

“With respect to Martinelli and the way he’s being treated at the moment, it really makes me uncomfortable,” Wright told Sky Sports. “He always gives 100%, we’re not saying he’s the greatest, but he’s come up with some big moments for Arsenal in big games, and the way he’s being treated at the end here – I know they might want him out and there’s a lot of guys saying it’s time for him to move on, but there’s ways of doing that should suit him as well.”

Pressed on what, specifically, he meant by “treatment”, Wright pointed to the winger’s complete exclusion from recent squads and a lack of communication from the club.

“Not being in the squad tonight, not being spoken to, doesn’t know what’s going on,” he said. Asked if he was certain about that, Wright replied: “Yes I do know this, I know this. Not being involved in the Community Shield squad, not being involved tonight, he doesn’t know what’s happening, he’s got a year left.”

The situation, Wright argued, would be easier to process for Martinelli if the calibre of incoming competition matched the message being sent.

“If you bring Vini in, that kind of level, Martinelli can say to himself, ‘well okay they’ve brought him in and Zsolis, I might be third’. But if you’re bringing in Tzolis and Madueke’s there, you’re thinking to yourself, ‘I’ve got something to offer here’.”

Right now, though, Martinelli is nowhere near it. No minutes. No clear pathway. No clarity.

“So for him to be nowhere near it, just makes me feel a bit sad for him,” Wright admitted. “I think he’s done enough in this squad to be treated with a bit more respect than he’s been treated at the moment.”

Arsenal may yet decide to cash in on a player with a year left on his deal. The question Wright has thrown back at the club is simple: whatever happens next, are they handling one of their own with the respect he has earned?