Report: Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli ‘at risk’ of being dropped by Mikel Arteta
Arsenal’s standout player Gabriel Martinelli is facing a “threat” from manager Mikel Arteta as the Gunners’ evolution leaves fan favorites behind.
The north London club traveled west for a 1-1 draw against Fulham over the weekend, where the team’s challenges against mid-blocks continued. Martinelli was substituted in during the second half and ignited a spark for Arsenal.
The Brazilian even created what appeared to be a winning goal before VAR showed that Martinelli was offside in the build-up just before delivering the ball to Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal have considered upgrades for Martinelli
Martinelli – who ranks no.8 in eScored’s list of the premier left-wingers in the world today – currently shares the position with Leandro Trossard.
The duo has routinely rotated this season; however, with Trossard reportedly set to receive a new contract in the upcoming weeks, it seems Martinelli’s future at Arsenal may be in jeopardy.
According to Arsenal journalist Charles Watts, Arsenal is exploring options to potentially replace the 23-year-old.
In his article for CaughtOffside, Watts confirmed that the Gunners have actively pursued upgrades on Martinelli, while also noting that, “he’s not the biggest problem at Arsenal right now.”
Martinelli has netted 35 goals in 141 appearances since joining English football, with the majority of his matches played on the left wing. He has only scored three times this season – and eScored concurs with Watts’ evaluation that the winger isn’t the primary issue Arteta is facing.
Arsenal’s entire left flank often leaves Martinelli isolated, prompting the club to acquire Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori to mitigate the situation.
For Arsenal, the ideal scenario wouldn’t be to replace Martinelli but rather to introduce a different type of forward. Despite their depth in attack, the Gunners lack a transitional threat and are likely to seek one in the summer.
Martinelli is valued at €60 million by Transfermarkt. Arsenal will face Monaco this week as Champions League action resumes.