Ian Wright felt a bit uncomfortable after sharing what he knows about how Arsenal has treated Gabriel Martinelli.
Ian Wright shared some honest feelings about how Gabriel Martinelli is being treated at Arsenal, and it’s caught a lot of attention. Martinelli wasn’t included in the Arsenal squad for their Community Shield win against Manchester City, and he also missed the Premier League opener versus Coventry City.
The champions started the season strong with a 3-0 win, thanks to goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard. New signing Christos Tzolis started his first Premier League game and did well on the left, which left Martinelli out of the picture, even though Leandro Trossard has left the club. There are rumors that several European clubs, including Juventus and Galatasaray, are interested in Martinelli.
After the game against Coventry, Wright spoke on Sky Sports and said he feels uneasy about how Arsenal is handling Martinelli. He said, “Gabriel always gives 100 percent. Maybe he’s not perfect, but he’s scored some crucial goals for Arsenal. The way he’s been treated lately doesn’t sit right with me. I know some think it’s time for him to move on, but there are better ways to handle it, ways that also work for him.”
Wright added that Martinelli isn’t being kept in the loop and doesn’t know what’s happening with his future. “He’s got a year left on his contract, and to be left out like this is just sad. He’s done enough to deserve better respect from the club.”
Arsenal’s new £85 million signing, Bruno Guimaraes, missed out on his Premier League debut due to a groin injury. This gave young Ethan Nwaneri a spot on the bench, but Martinelli was still left out, along with Jesus.
According to reports, Everton and Ipswich in the Premier League have shown interest in Martinelli, who would like to stay in England. Napoli from Serie A is also reportedly interested.
After the Community Shield, manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports that both Martinelli and Jesus are still very important to Arsenal. He also mentioned he’s trying to get the Premier League to allow bigger matchday squads, from the current nine subs to 23 players available.
Arteta said, “It’s tough not having them around because they deserve to play. I’m fighting to change the rules so more players can be involved and help the team.”