Arteta Surprised by Jesus's Claims on Barcelona Move

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated he was “very surprised” by Gabriel Jesus’s comments regarding his departure from the club. Jesus, who left Arsenal in September after a four-year tenure, claimed he was forced to train alone and received no prior information before joining Barcelona.

In response, Arteta emphasized that he had an individual conversation with Jesus about the transfer and believed they parted on good terms, stating, “the words that we used were all about gratitude.” Arteta also faced criticism from former Arsenal striker Ian Wright for a perceived lack of communication with Gabriel Martinelli, who transferred to Al Hilal on September 3. Arteta defended the club's approach, referencing Leandro Trossard, who was sold to Besiktas in July, as an example of maintaining good relationships with former players.

He acknowledged that delivering bad news can be challenging but expressed hope that the relationship with Jesus would remain positive over time.