Mikel Arteta Defends Arsenal's Player Exits Amid Criticism

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 gratitude, not bitterness, marked their goodbyes.

The Arsenal manager was responding after Jesus admitted frustration over his £12.5m move to Barcelona, saying "nobody told me anything" when he was told to train away from the first team in the build-up to the transfer.

That comment lit the fuse. Debate quickly spread when club legend Ian Wright then criticised Arsenal’s treatment of Martinelli, who found himself completely frozen out of early-season squads before completing a £60m switch to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

Arteta's Response

On Friday, Arteta drew a firm line.

“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 cordial and respectful, not cold or distant.

“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 Spaniard did not go into detail on Martinelli’s situation, but the implication was clear: from his side, those calls were made and the messages were delivered, even if the players didn’t like what they heard.

To underline his point, Arteta reached for a recent example.

He name-checked Leandro Trossard, who left for Besiktas in a £15m deal this summer yet was back in the Emirates Stadium dressing room after Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, happily mingling with his former team-mates.

“Somebody has to be the bad cop,” Arteta said. “If I have to be, I have to be and I understand.

“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, for Arteta, is the real verdict on whether a relationship has survived the strain of selection calls and transfer decisions. Time, not the initial reaction.

He remains optimistic that the same will eventually apply to Jesus and Martinelli.

“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.”

For now, Arsenal have little interest in letting the noise around former players derail their momentum.

Upcoming Match

Arteta’s side travel to Sunderland on Saturday night, intent on protecting their perfect start to the season and banking another away win. They do so on the back of a statement result in Europe: a composed, hard-fought Champions League victory at Napoli on Wednesday that has lifted confidence inside the camp.

There was one anxious moment in Italy when Ben White limped late on, but Arteta eased fears over the defender’s fitness, confirming he is “fine” for the weekend.

Cristhian Mosquera is less certain; the defender is being assessed as he struggles with a muscular issue that leaves his availability in doubt.

Arsenal, though, go north with their league record unblemished, their manager unapologetic about making ruthless calls, and the question hanging over the season now less about old grievances and more about how long this perfect start can last.