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Gabriel Martinelli has left the Gunners (Bradley Collyer/PA)
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Mikel Arteta has hailed Gabriel Martinelli after the Brazilian left Arsenal in a £60m move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, after the winger failed to mention his manager in an emotional goodbye post on social media.
Martinelli, who played nearly 300 times for the Gunners across seven seasons, was left out of Arsenal’s squad for their Community Shield win against Manchester City and subsequent Premier League victories over Coventry and Aston Villa. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said the treatment of Martinelli left him feeling “uncomfortable” and claimed the 25-year-old deserved “more respect”.
Asked about his feelings on Martinelli’s departure, Arteta said: “Gratitude. It’s been a pleasure to work with him, to be part of this journey with him. 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 posted a heartfelt goodbye message to Arsenal on social media, reflecting on his footballing journey since arriving as a raw 18-year-old talent from Brazilian side Ituano in 2019 with “anxiety, fear and doubts”.
“Yes, he did it,” Martinelli wrote. “He became an FA Cup champion, won the Community Shield and finally achieved the one he had waited so long for – becoming a Premier League champion.
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“With Brazil, he won an Olympic gold medal, played in two World Cups, and scored a very special goal, and here, with Arsenal, he reached 98 goal contributions.
“Today, it is time to close a chapter of this seven-year story. I would like to thank everyone who was part of this journey. 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 (shirt number) 35 to 11, once a Gunner, always a Gunner.”
The fee paid for Martinelli was a record sale for the club, eclipsing Alex Oxlade Chamberlain’s £35m exit to Liverpool in 2017.