Mikel Arteta Responds to Gabriel Jesus Claims on Barcelona Move

Mikel Arteta has hit back at claims from Gabriel Jesus that he was left in the dark over his £12.5m move to Barcelona, insisting he held a face-to-face conversation with the Brazilian before the deal went through.

Jesus revealed this week that "nobody told me anything" after being told to train away from Arsenal’s senior squad in the build-up to his departure. His comments poured fuel on an already lively debate about how the club has handled some of its recent exits.

That scrutiny only sharpened when Arsenal legend Ian Wright publicly questioned the treatment of Gabriel Martinelli. The winger was frozen out of early-season squads before sealing a £60m switch to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, a move that stunned large sections of the fanbase.

Arteta, speaking on Friday, pushed back hard against the idea that players had been cast aside without explanation.

"Very surprised, to be fair, especially because with Gabi [Jesus] I had an individual talk in the dressing room," he said. "I don't know what words were said, it is fine."

He stressed that the tone between him and Jesus at the end was anything but hostile.

"The words we used for each other, it was all about gratitude," Arteta added. "I don't know, it is OK. Sometimes I understand when you have to deliver bad news or news that people don't expect, those things [you can] react [to]."

For Arteta, the story does not end the moment a player walks out of London Colney. He pointed to Leandro Trossard as his clearest example.

The Belgian forward left for Besiktas in a £15m deal this summer, but there was no trace of bitterness when he returned to the Emirates Stadium dressing room after Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea. Trossard happily mixed with his former team-mates, a reunion Arteta seized on as a snapshot of the culture he believes he has built.

"Somebody has to be the bad cop. If I have to be, I have to be and I understand," the Arsenal manager said. "What is important is normally what happens three months later, six months later, when Trossard comes in, he is the dressing room with us, the atmosphere and the relationship you have."

Arteta accepts that difficult calls leave bruises. He also believes time tends to soften them. That is his hope with both Jesus and Martinelli.

"Things got so far with other players that they left, at some point the relationship has been really good," he said. "I hope that is the same case."

While the noise around departures rumbles on, Arsenal’s immediate focus is on the pitch. They travel to Sunderland on Saturday night aiming to extend their perfect start to the season and bank another away win.

They go into the game riding the high of a statement Champions League victory at Napoli on Wednesday. That result came with a late scare when Ben White limped off in Italy, but Arteta moved quickly to calm any fears, confirming the defender is "fine".

Cristhian Mosquera is less certain. The defender is being assessed as he battles a muscular problem, leaving Arteta with at least one selection question to answer before kick-off at the Stadium of Light.

The manager has chosen his role in this story: the bad cop when he must be, the protector of the dressing room always. The question now is whether his hard edges and hard calls can carry Arsenal through a long season without leaving too many scars behind.