Arteta braced for ‘tough’ Martinelli, Jesus exits from Arsenal

Mikel Arteta has had challenging conversations with forwards Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, as both Brazilian internationals may be leaving Arsenal. "Certain discussions and tough statements are inevitable," Arteta commented. Martinelli reportedly left training early on Thursday, possibly heading to Saudi side Al Hilal for a fee potentially exceeding £50 million.

Arteta affirmed that everyone involved recognizes their love for Gabi Martinelli, but the final decision rests on mutual agreement. Gabriel Jesus, affected by injuries and lower squad numbers, was absent from Thursday's training session as he nears the end of his contract. The Arsenal manager explained that adjustments to the squad are being made on an individual basis for each player.

As for a potential move for Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez, Arteta dismissed the interest, stating, "Don’t go there." The Argentine is currently in a dispute with Atletico over his transfer to Barcelona. Arteta also revealed that Arsenal's new signing, Ezri Konsa, is set to make his debut for the club at Villa Park on Monday after a £51 million transfer from Aston Villa.

Despite the move, Arteta remains confident in Konsa's abilities and does not anticipate any negative reception from fellow fans. Additionally, Bruno Guimaraes might return to competitive action following a groin injury that kept him out of the 3-0 victory over Coventry last weekend.