'He will spoil the whole training ground' - Man City hero tipped to leave Arsenal

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 23 Sept 2025 12:50 BST
4 min read

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Gabriel Martinelli's future at Arsenal has been called into question by former Gunners star Emmanuel Adebayor.

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Martinelli was the hero for Arsenal on Sunday as he came off the bench late in the game to score a 93rd minute equaliser against Man City.

Current ETV

Gabriel Martinelli

F, M (L)

Arsenal

Gabriel Martinelli

F, M (L)

Arsenal

ETV Range

€46.6M - €57M

The Brazilian has fallen down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta and is now regarded as a substitute when everyone is fit.

Adebayor believes that unless Martinelli becomes a first-team player, he will soon become a problem in the changing room and inevitably leave the club.

What did Adebayor say?

Adebayor told told Premier League Productions: “I think that’s where man management becomes very important because you have to be talking to all these players to keep them happy all the time even knowing that they’re on the bench.

“When I was on the bench at Arsenal, I knew that I had Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie in front of me, but it was not easy because every weekend I’m in his [Arsene Wenger’s] office telling him “I’m here to play, I have to play”.

“This is when you need a manager that can calm the situation down. We have never seen Arteta go through those moments, and I think this is the right year for him to go through this.

“‘Manager, I want to play. Gaffer, listen I’m not here to sit on the bench. You didn’t buy me to be on the bench. I’m here to play because I want to win Ballon d’Or. I want to be the top goal scorer. I want to be the best player in the league’.

“We all have our individual things in our mind whether you like it or not. But at the end of the day, we put into the collective.

“We have to think of what I can do, what I’m going to bring into the team. If you’re on the bench, it’s hard.

“Martinelli, I think in a couple of weeks we will lose him because if he stays on the bench after this game the head will start going, then the body will follow, then he will spoil the whole training ground.”

Martinelli joined Arsenal from Ituano in Brazil in 2019 and has gone on to make 230 appearances, scoring 53 goals.

He had a breakout season in 2022-23, scoring 15 Premier League goals.

But he has not pushed on since then and has fallen down in Arteta's estimations.

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