Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hit back at Gabriel Jesus after claims he was mistreated during his final weeks at the club.
Jesus, a £45million signing from Manchester City in 2022, left the Gunners this summer, sealing a permanent move to Barcelona.
In a recent interview, the Brazil international claimed he was ordered to train away from the Arsenal first-team before his exit and was kept in the dark over his situation.
‘I did all the pre-season with Arsenal [normally],’ Jesus said. ‘Obviously I knew already that probably I would not play there or get some opportunity, but no one told me anything.
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‘I was training with the group, and then, from nothing, they put me to train apart from the group.’
Those comments came after Arsenal legend Ian Wright questioned the club’s treatment of Gabriel Martinelli, who was sold to Al-Hilal this month. The Brazilian, who joined the club as an 18-year-old seven years ago, was left of matchday squads while his future was being resolved.
‘It really makes me feel uncomfortable,’ Wright said. ‘I think he’s done enough with this team, with this squad, to be treated with a little bit more respect than he’s being treated at the moment.’
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Arteta was quizzed on both sets of comments.
He told reporters: ‘Very surprised, to be fair, especially because with Gabi [Jesus] I had an individual talk in the dressing room. I don’t know what words were said, it is fine.
‘The words we used for each other, it was all about gratitude. I don’t know, it is okay. Sometimes I understand when you have to deliver bad news or news that people don’t expect, those things [you can] react [to].’
Arteta admitted it was up to him to be ‘bad cop’ but also pointed out Leandro Trossard’s return to the club last weekend to watch the victory over Chelsea, two months on from leaving to join Besiktas.
‘Somebody has to be the bad cop. 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 the dressing room with us, the atmosphere and the relationship you have.
‘Things got so far with other players that they left, at some point the relationship has been really good. I hope that is the same case.’