Former Arsenal player Ian Wright has voiced his opinion that Gabriel Martinelli deserves "more respect" from the club and has questioned how Arsenal has handled the winger's potential exit from the Emirates Stadium. Wright's comments come amidst reports that Arsenal is looking to make at least one significant sale before the end of the transfer window, identifying Martinelli as their most sellable asset alongside Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira.
Martinelli himself has reportedly already turned down a move to Galatasaray. Should he depart Arsenal, he is understood to be seeking a move to another top European club. This situation arises as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged the difficult nature of player sales, stating the need for honesty and transparency when discussing potential departures with established players.
"It's a really tough moment, but you need to face that reality," Arteta said, addressing the possibility of established players leaving. "You need to face it with real honesty and transparency because when you are on the other side, that's exactly what you need. You might not like what you've been told, but if it's truthful, if it's the reality, if it's honest and it's going to help you to make better decisions and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that. Everything has a start and has an end. And when it comes to the end, our duty, and our responsibility is to do it in the best possible way, maintaining the respect and admiration for the player and the relationship, but understanding that at the end, we need to make football decisions."