One player who has just left the Emirates has now admitted that one of his Arsenal teammates was previously unhappy with their game time.
Mikel Arteta has certainly endured a difficult job balancing the club’s ambitions whilst also keeping his squad harmonious over the last few seasons.
David Raya coming in to replace Aaron Ramsdale is a good example, a calculated risk by the Arsenal manager.
It was recently shared that Steve Round thought Arteta was making a mistake at the time, a move that needlessly risked the good mood in the squad.
But Raya eventually justified Arteta’s decision, and proved that the juice was worth the squeeze, so to speak.
That being said, at the end of a long and productive but ultimately trophyless season, Arteta has been left with several players in precarious roles, not necessarily receiving the minutes they desire.
Ramsdale is an obvious name in that category, and is perhaps joined by the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Eddie Nketiah.
That being said, an admission by the departing Cedric Soares has just come as a surprise.
Cedric Soares admits Gabriel Martinelli was once unhappy with his game time at Arsenal
Speaking in an interview in Portuguese with 1 Para 1, Cedric was initially asked which Arsenal player impressed him the most during his time at the club.
And when speaking about Gabriel Martinelli’s growth of late, he mentioned a time that he wasn’t so happy.
Initially praising Bukayo Saka, Cedric said: “Bukayo, without a doubt. I’ve watched Bukayo grow. But I’d also like to highlight Martinelli.
“I saw his growth because in the past there were many games where he was unhappy about not playing, and I saw him grow, becoming almost a regular starter, with a lot of quality, not just good at one thing but very complete.
“Gabriel Magalhaes, tactically, has also evolved a lot. Gabriel Jesus surprised me when he arrived.
“I trained with him, and I thought, ‘Wow! This guy is very complete. He’ll help us a lot.’
“He’s not a player tied to statistics, but he gives a lot to the team. There are many players to highlight.
“Martin Odegaard, without a doubt, has evolved, becoming a more consistent player, and more capable.”
READ MORE: Cedric Soares claims there’s one player at Arsenal who’s very ‘similar’ to Bernardo Silva
Of course, those comments are interesting in the context of Martinelli recently enduring a period out of the starting team.
Leandro Trossard was preferred by the Arsenal boss in the final weeks, a decision that would have been a surprise earlier in the season.
All that being said, Declan Rice has also recently provided a insight behind the scenes. sharing the club’s best trainer.