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Mikel Arteta has paid tribute to Gabriel Martinelli after the Brazilian completed a £60m transfer from Arsenal to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, with the winger having omitted his manager from an emotional farewell message.

Martinelli, who made nearly 300 appearances for the Gunners over seven seasons, had been left out of Arsenal’s squad for the Community Shield victory against Manchester City and the following Premier League wins over Coventry and Aston Villa. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said the way Martinelli had been handled made him feel “uncomfortable” and argued that the 25-year-old deserved “more respect”.

When asked how he felt about Martinelli leaving, Arteta said: “Gratitude. It’s been a pleasure to work with him, to be part of this journey with him. He’s gone through a huge transformation, both in his personal and professional side, his ambition, his love for the game and how he has helped us to grow and achieve our goals. He’s been a critical player ... [but] the story ends.”

Earlier, Martinelli had shared a heartfelt farewell to Arsenal, looking back on his football journey since joining from Brazilian club Ituano in 2019 as an unpolished 18-year-old carrying “anxiety, fear and doubts”.

In that message, he thanked supporters, team-mates and staff behind the scenes, but made no mention of Arteta.

“Yes, he did it,” Martinelli wrote. “He became an FA Cup champion, won the Community Shield and finally achieved the one he had waited so long for – becoming a Premier League champion.

“With Brazil, he won an Olympic gold medal, played in two World Cups, and scored a very special goal, and here, with Arsenal, he reached 98 goal contributions.

“Today, it is time to close a chapter of this seven-year story. I would like to thank everyone who was part of this journey. To Arsenal, thank you for believing in me and opening the doors for me when I was just a boy with a dream.

“To the fans, thank you for supporting me throughout all these years, through the moments of joy and difficult ones, I will be forever grateful. From (shirt number) 35 to 11, once a Gunner, always a Gunner.”

The amount received for Martinelli is a club-record sale, surpassing the £35m Arsenal got when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Liverpool in 2017.