Arteta hails 'critical' Martinelli despite winger's social media snub on £60m Al-Hilal exit

Mikel Arteta has praised Gabriel Martinelli as a “critical” player following the Brazilian winger’s £60m move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal — Arsenal’s record sale — despite Martinelli failing to mention his manager in an emotional social media goodbye.

Martinelli, who made nearly 300 appearances across seven seasons at the Emirates, had already been left out of Arsenal’s squad for the Community Shield win against Manchester City and subsequent Premier League victories over Coventry and Aston Villa before his departure was confirmed.

Asked about his feelings on the exit, Arteta was generous in his assessment. “Gratitude. It’s been a pleasure to work with him, to be part of this journey with him,” the Arsenal manager said. “He’s gone through a huge transformation, both in his personal and professional side, his ambition, his love for the game and how he has helped us to grow and achieve our goals. He’s been a critical player… [but] the story ends.”

Martinelli’s farewell post on social media was heartfelt but conspicuously made no reference to Arteta. The 25-year-old reflected on arriving as a raw 18-year-old from Brazilian side Ituano in 2019 carrying “anxiety, fear and doubts”, and catalogued the highs of a career that brought an FA Cup, a Community Shield, a Premier League title, an Olympic gold medal with Brazil, and 98 goal contributions in Arsenal colours.

“Today, it is time to close a chapter of this seven-year story,” Martinelli wrote. “To Arsenal, thank you for believing in me and opening the doors for me when I was just a boy with a dream. To the fans, thank you for supporting me throughout all these years, through the moments of joy and difficult ones, I will be forever grateful. From 35 to 11, once a Gunner, always a Gunner.”

The omission did not go unnoticed. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said the manner of Martinelli’s exit left him feeling “uncomfortable” and argued the winger deserved “more respect” from the club.

The £60m fee surpasses the £35m Arsenal received when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Liverpool in 2017, setting a new benchmark for the club’s outgoing transfers.