Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has pushed back against claims made by former striker Gabriel Jesus, who accused the club of sidelining him without explanation in the lead-up to his departure for Barcelona.
Jesus left Arsenal on September 1 after four seasons at the club, joining the Spanish side. In an interview with SportyTV, the Brazilian forward said he had been abruptly separated from first-team training without being given a reason, stating that "out of nowhere they put me to train apart from the group" and that "nobody told me nothing."
Asked about the accusations ahead of Saturday's Premier League fixture against Sunderland, Arteta said he was taken aback by the comments, particularly given what he described as a respectful conversation held with Jesus before his exit.
"Very surprised, to be fair," Arteta said. "Especially because with Gabi (Jesus) I had an individual talk in the dressing room. I don't know what words were said, it's fine. The words that we used were all about gratitude."
The Spanish coach acknowledged that delivering unwelcome news is sometimes an unavoidable part of his job, suggesting he was prepared to play that role if necessary.
"I don't know, it's OK. Sometimes I understand that when you have to deliver bad news, or news that people don't expect, somebody has to be the bad cop. If I have to be, I have to be and I understand," he explained.
Arteta argued that the true measure of a player's relationship with the club often becomes clear well after a transfer has been completed. He cited Leandro Trossard, who left Arsenal for Besiktas in July, as an example, pointing to the Belgian's presence in the away end of Emirates Stadium during last Sunday's win over Chelsea as evidence that bonds with former players remain intact.
"What is important is normally what happens three months or six months later," Arteta said. "When Trossard comes, he's in the dressing room with all of us, the atmosphere and the relationship you have. Thank God so far that with all the players that left, at some point the relationship has been really good. I hope this is the same case."
The Arsenal boss was also questioned about comments from club legend Ian Wright, who said he felt "uncomfortable" with how Gabriel Martinelli's exit to Al Hilal was communicated on September 3.
Separately, Arteta discussed his side's preparations for this week's Champions League trip to Napoli, where Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory despite a lengthy delay to their travel plans caused by UK air traffic control issues. The manager revealed that such disruptions had been anticipated and even simulated during pre-season training.
"I love those challenges. I tried to create them in pre-season, so when they happen we have already experienced them and we already know," Arteta said, adding that he had deliberately altered routines, such as arriving late to venues, to prepare players mentally for unforeseen setbacks.
"When it happens, and it can be because you can miss the flight, or the train is delayed, there is so much traffic – I don't want the players and staff panicking," he continued. "When that happens, adapt to it... Play together, spend some time together, sleep. Use it and don't complain or use it as an excuse because it's not helpful at all."
On injury news, Arteta confirmed defender Ben White is fit to feature against Sunderland, while Jurrien Timber is nearing a return from his own layoff.
Based on reporting from The Independent.