Ian Wright has urged Arsenal to treat Gabriel Martinelli with greater dignity as uncertainty surrounds the Brazilian winger's future at the club, with the Gunners openly courting offers for the 25-year-old.

Martinelli contributed 11 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions last season — a campaign that ended with Arsenal lifting the Premier League title. Yet he was absent from the squad for both the Community Shield victory over Manchester City and Friday's 3-0 league opener against Coventry, raising eyebrows across the footballing world.

"The way Martinelli is being treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable," former Arsenal striker Wright told Sky Sports. "He's done enough with this squad to be treated with a little bit more respect than he's being treated with at the moment."

Wright acknowledged that Arsenal may have decided it is time to move Martinelli on, but argued the manner of his exclusion was unacceptable. "Not being involved in the squad, not being spoken to, he doesn't know what's going on," Wright said. "There's ways of doing that and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave."

Arsenal's position

The club deny that Martinelli is being frozen out, attributing his absence to competition for places. New signing Christos Tzolis caught the eye on the left wing against Coventry, the position Martinelli has long called his own. Arsenal had also pursued Vinicius Jr before the Brazil forward signed a new deal with Real Madrid.

"If you bring Tzolis in and have Noni Madueke on the other side, you're thinking to yourself, 'I can still have it with these two, I've got something to offer'," Wright said. "For him to be nowhere near it, it just makes me feel a bit sad for him."

Martinelli, who joined from Brazilian club Ituano in 2019, has been a fixture in the first team throughout manager Mikel Arteta's tenure. He has already rejected a move to Galatasaray and is understood to be targeting a switch to a leading European club if he departs Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal consider Martinelli one of their most marketable assets in the current window, alongside striker Gabriel Jesus and midfielder Fabio Vieira, as the club seeks a major sale before the transfer deadline.

Arteta on the reality of exits

Arteta spoke candidly about the prospect of long-serving players departing ahead of Friday's match. "Everything has a start and has an end," the Arsenal manager said. "When it comes to the end, our duty and our responsibility is to do it in the best possible way, maintaining the respect and admiration for the player and the relationship."

He added that honesty, even when difficult, was essential: "You might not like what you've been told, but if it's truthful, if it's the reality, if it's honest and it's going to help you to make better decisions and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that."