How Arsenal can signal their good Martinelli alternative this week

Arsenal have began the brand new marketing campaign like they imply enterprise.

The Gunners have to signal a brand new ahead do they? Properly, not on the proof of their first two video games of the season. In beating Manchester Metropolis within the Group Defend and Coventry Metropolis within the Premier League, they’ve scored six targets and never conceded a single one.

Mikel Arteta’s males are favourites to win consecutive league crowns with lots of the division’s so-called elite golf equipment very a lot in transition.

Arteta has been there earlier than. He is taken Arsenal from being the almost males to the membership everybody needs to be. Nonetheless, they aren’t good.

Regardless of these first two outcomes to begin the season, they require extra if they’re to problem on all fronts in 2026/27 and with Gabriel Martinelli set to depart, the necessity a brand new vast participant has solely elevated.

What’s Gabriel Martinelli’s Arsenal legacy?

In the summertime of 2019, Unai Emery, sure Unai Emery, welcomed Martinelli to north London for a cut price payment of simply £6m from Ituano in Brazil.

Properly, seven years on, it will be secure to say he has been value each penny of that. He is now set to hitch Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia for £50m. It is a unhappy finish to his Arsenal journey fact be instructed.

Certainly, Mikel Arteta has made it very clear to the Brazilian in latest weeks that he’s not a part of his plans. It was a giant shock to see him excluded from the Group Defend squad. He did not even earn a winner’s medal as soon as all was mentioned and achieved.

Martinelli was then absent from the squad in opposition to Coventry too. Even with Leandro Trossard leaving the Emirates behind, the writing has been on the wall for the 25-year-old.

Arsenal are utterly revamping their choices on the left facet of the pitch and sadly, Martinelli is not going to be a part of that.

Few can blame Arteta, nevertheless, for wanting rid. Whereas the winger has been an enormous a part of the experience lately – scoring 62 targets in 278 appearances – 2025/26 was a troublesome one on a private stage.

He received the Premier League however solely truly contributed one purpose en-route to claiming the trophy. He scored 11 in all competitions however was nearly nameless within the league.

Arteta has had sufficient however Martinelli needs to be remembered fondly. This can be a participant who scored many very important targets for the membership, famously bagging that late equaliser in opposition to Manchester Metropolis final time period, his solely Premier League strike of 2025/26.

Only a few individuals have something dangerous to say about Martinelli’s character or angle. It has been exemplary since shifting from Brazil as a boy. He has grown into a person and an excellent footballer too.

Nonetheless, it’s time for him to maneuver on. It’s time for Arsenal to interchange him.

How Arsenal can change Martinelli within the final week of the window

Even earlier than Arteta had made a last determination on the way forward for Martinelli, Arsenal had been exploring the thought of signing two new forwards this summer season.

Christos Tzolis has already arrived to interchange Leandro Trossard and his Gunners journey has began brilliantly, notably registering two assists within the Group Defend.

REUTERS/Chris Radburn

But, they’ve additionally been after an elite attacker. Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez have each been focused however to no avail. Bradley Barcola has additionally been checked out however is extra prone to signal for Liverpool earlier than the switch window slams shut.

Thus, with time working out, Andrea Berta might have to look elsewhere. How about Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye? Reviews earlier this summer season prompt that they had made an enquiry to Everton concerning his availability.

Now, within the last days of the window, the Every day Mail’s Simon Jones studies that he’s again on their radar and that an £80m transfer might be launched because the membership weigh up their choices.

Whereas Ndiaye will not be the Vini Junior-type of signing that followers had been craving, as Arsenal intention to interchange Martinelli, Ndiaye could be an exceptional alternative.

Hailed as “top-of-the-line left wingers within the Premier League” by author and Arsenal content material creator Harvey Diamonds, the Senegalese sensation has emerged as one of the fascinating forwards in England lately.

His total output for the Toffees will not be too eye-catching – he scored simply six targets and registered three assists final time period – however his information throughout a number of the most essential metrics for a large participant paint a constructive image.

When analysing this performances from final season alone, Ndiaye is definitely reasonably much like Martinelli, rating intently for a number of areas together with progressive passes, progressive carries and open play possibilities created.

That will not excite Arsenal supporters an excessive amount of however in full flight, he’s a very entertaining participant to look at. Teammate Vitaliy Mykolenko has described him as “essentially the most skilful participant within the Premier League” for a cause.

Certainly, final time period, solely Manchester Metropolis’s Jeremy Doku accomplished extra dribbles (84) within the Premier League than Ndiaye’s tally of 73. Bukayo Saka, for added context, accomplished 50.

So, whereas the Everton star will not be Vini, Barcola or Morgan Rogers, he would nonetheless be an thrilling addition, significantly in mild of Martinelli departing.