Arteta hits back at Arsenal criticism over Gabriel Jesus and Martinelli sales

Updated: 11 Sept 2026 12:20 BST | 4 min read

Mikel Arteta, Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal, 2026/27 — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta claims he has been left ‘very surprised’ by criticism of the club’s handling of the sales of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.

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The Brazilian pair were offloaded at the end of the transfer window to Barcelona and Al-Hilal respectively, with the Gunners pocketing a total of €80 million from the two moves – but the transfers have not been without criticism.

Gabriel Jesus, for example, claimed that no one at Arsenal told him of their plan to sell him, while Ian Wright criticised the decision to offload Martinelli, saying that the winger had been unfairly treated.

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Gabriel Jesus

F (C)

Barcelona

Gabriel Jesus

F (C)

Barcelona

ETV Range

€14M - €17.1M

Arteta has bristled at these suggestions, telling the media: "I’m very surprised. Because with Gabriel Jesus I had an individual talk in the dressing room.

"I don't know what words were said, it's fine. The words we used with each other, it was all about gratitude.

"It's ok, sometimes I understand that when you have to deliver bad news or news you don't expect, somebody has to be the bad cop.

"If I have to be it, I have to be it. And I understand.

"What is important is what happens three months later, six months later.

"When Leandro Trossard came back for the Chelsea game last week, he's in the dressing room with all of us. The atmosphere and the relationship you have, thank God that all the players that have left, at some point, the relationship is very good. I hope that's the same case."

© IMAGO - Gabriel Jesus: Unhappy with how Arsenal handled his sale

Gabriel Jesus claims he was ditched by Arsenal

Arteta’s version of events conflicts with the version given by Gabriel Jesus, who was speaking to SportyTV.

“The truth is, I was training. I did the whole pre-season with Arsenal, as normal. Obviously, I already knew I probably wasn't going to play there or that I wasn't going to get many opportunities, but nobody had said anything to me,” he complained in quotes relayed by Mundo Deportivo.

“I'm a professional, you know, so obviously I kept training with the group.

“Then, suddenly, they put me on my own to train. I kept training and giving my all to be ready in case I had the chance to play at the highest level again.”

Gabriel Jesus scored his first goal for Barcelona when he came off the bench to net in the 5-1 Champions League victory over Feyenoord on Wednesday. It was his second appearance for the club since making a €10m switch from Arsenal, which appeared to leave him frustrated with their handling of the move.