Gabriel Martinelli has sealed a move away from Arsenal to join Al Hilal this summer, and the Brazilian appeared to snub Mikel Arteta when he wrote his farewell message to the Gunners.
Martinelli was one of the players who helped Arteta establish himself as Arsenal manager and build his reputation as one of the best coaches in the game. The attacker enjoyed several strong seasons at the Emirates, although his form declined during his last two campaigns.
That decline may have contributed to Arsenal’s decision to part ways with Martinelli. The Gunners believed this summer was the right time for the attacker to leave, and he was not included in a competitive matchday squad once the club decided it was time to sell him.
Martinelli begins new chapter in Saudi Arabia
Martinelli is now set to continue his career in the Saudi Pro League, where he will earn significant money. The Brazilian could eventually look back positively on his time at Arsenal and appreciate the decision to allow him to pursue a new challenge.
He was an important player for Arteta over the years, making his contribution to the manager’s project significant. However, their time together has now come to an end, with Martinelli beginning a new chapter away from the Emirates.
Arteta was asked about the attacker before Arsenal’s game against Chelsea and reflected on the journey they shared. He said via Arsenal Media:
“It’s been a pleasure to work with him, to be part of this journey with him. The Gabi that I met and the Gabi that just left, it’s a huge transformation, both in the personal side and in the professional side.
Arteta praises Martinelli’s contribution
“I think the impact that he had for the club, his ambition, his love for the game and the way he has, I think, helped us to grow and achieve our goals. I think he’s been a critical player. The story ends and we wish him all the very best in a different one. This is part of football.”
Arteta’s comments underline the importance Martinelli had during his time at Arsenal. Despite the decision to move him on, the manager clearly recognises how much the Brazilian developed and contributed to the club.
Martinelli now has the opportunity to begin a fresh chapter with Al Hilal, while Arsenal move forward without a player who played an important role during Arteta’s tenure.
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The way he was treated in the end was disrespectful no matter how you look at it
Arteta says he was happy to be part of Martinelli’s journey. So happy in fact that he got rid of him. 🙄
I try to remain neutral on player sales well most players – there are a couple of exceptions of course! I initially view departures and incomings as part of the club developing
Martinelli is a much loved young man who arrived as a very young prospect Personally, I think he has given Arsenal a great deal but that doesn’t mean in the course of time that changes need to be made.
I think his situation is presently being used in some part to discredit the summer window and those who have had to make tough decisions. We cannot possibly know the ins and outs because it’s mostly speculation. It all comes across as the club being unfeeling but unfortunately, this is the name of the game. It’s changed from what I remember. Maybe I never thought to look deeper
I had no view on whether GM should have stayed or moved on to another team as I’ve witnessed countless players leave Arsenal over the decades. In recent memory Trossard was a good buy and he left in a blink of an eye as the window opened. Not a murmur. Yet others attract considerable attention
It seems to me that with no games twice a week just yet, the consensus has been to find any means possible to find fault with just about everything. Hopefully we can stuff Chelsea (with luck I can get to see it in my phone or at least get the audio) and the mood shifts
SueP, since MA became manager, in Arsenal parlance the term “ruthless” has been very popular and seen as a desirable goal.
If we don’t beat Chelsea, I don’t think I’ll be reading JA comments as there’s not likely to be a very high percentage of level headed ones.
BB
I don’t know how a top flight manager can survive without ruthlessness. They are invariably given little time to “get it right” before the sack race begins and they’re out of a job.
That’s why I liked the sound of Arteta when he joined and why I didn’t have any confidence that Potter was capable of being a big time manager. There are many Potters in this world (with varying degrees of limited success). Were Fergie, Mourinho, or Guardiola not ruthless? At a personal level they have to be in order to satisfy demands from owners and supporters alike to win. I bet Joe Hart remembers being axed in the same way that Ramsdale does
Rightly or wrongly on my part, I can’t get too stressed about it. Premier League players earn an absolute fortune- even at the smaller clubs. If they have any sense, they’ll be set for life. One decent contract and they should be. It’s a mean profession at times and the highs are high but disappointment is often just around the corner. Looking at the Alvarez debacle, he tried to engineer a move. Izaak did it and others will continue to do so. On the flip side there will be a Martinelli. It’s not for the faint hearted and to succeed you need a touch of the Skelly attitude about you too. Likewise being a successful manager demands it
👍SueP, there is an old saying “business is business” and professional football certainly qualifies.