Simon Jordan accuses Ian Wright of 'uninformed' and 'one-dimensional' Gabriel Martinelli take amid Arsenal transfer saga

Former Arsenal striker Wright sparked the debate by voicing his significant discomfort with how Mikel Arteta is handling Martinelli during the final weeks of the summer transfer window. The Brazilian international, who has been a mainstay at the Emirates for seven seasons, was left out of the matchday squads for both the Community Shield and the Premier League opener against Coventry City.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Wright hit out at Arteta for what he perceives as a lack of respect toward a player with 278 appearances for the club. Wright stated: "With respect to Martinelli and the way he's being treated at the moment, it really makes me uncomfortable. He always gives 100 per cent. We're not saying he's the greatest, but he's come up with some big moments for Arsenal in big games, and the way he's being treated at the end here."

Simon Jordan was quick to dismiss Wright’s claims, questioning the factual basis of the pundit’s allegations against the Arsenal hierarchy. The former Crystal Palace owner argued that Wright is viewing the situation through a narrow lens and suggested that the former striker should remain silent unless he has intimate knowledge of the club's internal communications.

Addressing the comments on talkSPORT, Jordan said: "I don't imagine it's particularly informed. Unless he's across the exact details of Arsenal's behaviour, and the players' perspective, which he may well be if he's indicating it appears that he's well aware of the players' perspective. If so, maybe he'd be better served to perhaps keep his own counsel, because I'm not entirely sure what it's got to do with him. I'm not entirely sure why he would think that Arsenal and Arteta aren't capable of managing their players in an appropriate fashion."

The tension comes at a time when Martinelli’s departure from North London appears increasingly likely. After previously turning down a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray, the 25-year-old is now reportedly open to a move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. Negotiations are said to be advancing between the clubs, with Arsenal holding out for a fee in the region of £60m.

Jordan doubled down on his defence of the club's management, insisting that Wright’s public criticism was inappropriate for a former player of his stature. Jordan added: "What he's indicating is that this football club which is considered one of the statesmen of English football, isn't acting properly. And I think that's a rather strong allegation and I think he should wind his neck in a little bit. But maybe he thinks he's in a position because of his new contract with Sky that people are going to hang on his every word. Guess what Arsenal do?"

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown attempted to act as a mediator in the dispute, defending Wright’s intentions even if he felt the criticism may have been slightly hyperbolic. Keown highlighted Wright’s genuine affection for the current crop of Arsenal players as the primary reason for his emotional reaction to Martinelli’s omission.

Keown attempted to soften the blow by stating: "I don't think he needs to be battering Ian Wright. Ian loves the players - he's shown that - and maybe he's just taken it a step too far." This prompted a firm rebuttal from Jordan, who concluded the debate by saying: "I think battering him is not what we're doing here. I'm holding him to account for the things that he said. If you want to characterise what I've said, that's up to you."