Journalist can’t understand what’s going on between Mikel Arteta and £27m Arsenal man

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s treatment of defender Gabriel Magalhaes is becoming more and more surprising.

Journalist Charles Watts was speaking about the £27m Brazilian after another unexplained absence.

After back-to-back Premier League wins, Arsenal were brought back down to Earth by Fulham on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta made several changes from their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace with Leandro Trossard brought in for Eddie Nketiah.

However, he was forced into another defensive change after Takehiro Tomiyasu’s red card but once again snubbed Gabriel Magalhaes.

Jakub Kiwior came in at left-back, which admittedly wouldn’t have been an ideal position for Gabriel.

However, the centre-back has gone from being one of the first names on the teamsheet to a late substitute.

Watts has admitted that Arteta’s treatment of Gabriel is very surprising, especially considering nothing Arsenal did in pre-season suggested this change was coming.

There’s plenty of speculation suggesting that Gabriel could move on in the final days of the transfer window.

Although Arteta has suggested that’s not the case, it’s hard to identify another explanation for his omission.

Arteta treatment of Gabriel surprising

Speaking about the 25-year-old, Watts said: “I still have this little hunch that the whole Gabriel [Magalhaes] thing that there’s more to it.

“There was no indication that this was going to happen during pre-season. There was no indication even up to the Community Shield when Gabriel started that this was going to happen.

“I mean Gabriel didn’t do anything wrong in the Community Shield and that’s why it just makes me think that there’s potential something a little bit more going on when it comes to Gabriel.

“We know about the interest from Saudi Arabia and all that and Mikel [Arteta] has insistent that it’s not and it’s purely tactical.

“If it was tactical it’s surely something that would have been worked on during pre-season a lot more than it was.

“I’m really, really surprised by it. It wasn’t something that I was expecting when the season got underway.”

Arteta’s omission of Gabriel is surprising, especially considering Arsenal’s defence has looked bulletproof in his absence.

William Saliba is a fantastic centre-back and has formed a good partnership thus far with Ben White.

However, Arsenal are missing White bombing down the wing to support Bukayo Saka with Thomas Partey instead inverting inside.

Arteta’s tactics will continue to be placed under the microscope while the Brazilian is sitting on the bench.