Mikel Arteta hits back at Gabriel Jesus: “If someone has to be the bad cop, it will be me”

Mikel Arteta has addressed Gabriel Jesus' recent remarks after the Brazilian striker claimed nobody told him anything when he was forced to train away from the first-team group during his final spell at Arsenal. The Spanish coach, instead of avoiding the issue, defended the way he manages exits and left one headline quote: “If someone has to be the bad cop, it will be me, and I understand that.”

• Arteta says he held a one-to-one conversation with Gabriel Jesus in the dressing room and that the words exchanged were all about gratitude.
• The Arsenal manager says he is “very surprised” by the noise around the summer departures of Trossard, Martinelli and Jesus.
• He accepts that the same situation can be interpreted differently depending on who experiences it.
• Arsenal legend Ian Wright had already criticised how the three attackers left the club last summer.

Arteta responds to Gabriel Jesus' Arsenal exit complaint

Gabriel Jesus completed a move to Barcelona and, already as a Barça player, said that nobody explained anything to him when he had to train away from the group during his last weeks in London. The confession put Arteta at the centre of the debate, and now the Basque coach has offered his own version.

The manager of the reigning Premier League champions explained that, at least in the case of Gabriel Jesus, there was a direct conversation between the two. According to his account, he and the Brazilian striker met in the dressing room and the exchange was far warmer than some of the recent noise might suggest.

"To be honest, especially with Gabi I had a one-on-one conversation in the dressing room. The words we exchanged were all about gratitude"

The debate over the exits of Trossard, Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus

The issue is not limited to Gabriel Jesus. During the summer window, Arsenal moved on three significant attacking pieces: the Brazilian himself, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli. The way those goodbyes were managed has sparked conversation inside and outside the club, with Ian Wright, the legendary Gunners striker, voicing criticism of how the club handled them.

Arteta, who knows the inner workings of a professional dressing room at first hand, focused on the complexity of internal roles. In his view, not every move can be managed in the same way, and sometimes someone has to take on the less pleasant side of communication or negotiation.

The human side of the Arsenal dressing room

The coach also pointed out that a difficult period can change over time. His experience in charge of the London club has taught him that many relationships that ended on a tense note have later been repaired. And he hopes the same will happen with Gabriel Jesus.

"With other players who left at some point, the relationship has improved a lot. I hope this will be the case as well"

What this exchange means for Barcelona

Barcelona is keeping a close eye on the debate. Gabriel Jesus arrived to strengthen the attack, and his early weeks as a Barça player have been shaped not only by his performances but also by how his Arsenal chapter came to an end. The fact that his former coach has now responded is further evidence that the relationship between the player and his previous club did not end fully closed.

For Barcelona, what matters most remains on the pitch. The 29-year-old centre-forward has the chance to prove himself in a project that needed goals and experience in the final third. His words about his time in London, however, will keep feeding the story every time they cross paths with Arsenal.

Frequently asked questions about Gabriel Jesus' Arsenal exit