Gabriel Martinelli witnessed Arsenal’s full ascent to the summit after being plucked from the Brazilian talent hotbeds as a teenager, and he leaves Mikel Arteta with a selection conundrum if the club opts to recruit new wingers this summer.
The starting left wing spot at Arsenal would be largely uncontested for Gabriel Martinelli if Leandro Trossard’s expected exit to Turkish top flight side Besiktas is sanctioned once his World Cup journey with Belgium comes to an end.
The two wingers epitomised the internal jostling so integral to the club preserving a competitive environment, but Trossard often pipped his colleague to the top of Mikel Arteta’s pecking order for the most crucial contests.
Martinelli notched the highest goal involvements in the Champions League for Arsenal last season without scoring in the knockout stages.
A quite pertinent statistic when consulting Arsenal fans for their verdict on the Brazilian’s role moving forwards in Arteta’s project, after ending the 23-year wait for the league title and falling just short in the Champions League final.
Martinelli amassed exactly half the amount of starts last term as the previous campaign for the Gunners, perhaps also influenced by Noni Madueke’s arrival in the summer and his flexibility off both flanks.
Left wing has been the role where an upgrade has been warranted in recent years to break the Premier League title hoodoo, although that decision never materialised during Andrea Berta’s first summer as Sporting Director.
If Trossard does depart for an expected fee in excess of £17 million, it will add to the significant war chest the Arsenal chiefs have at their disposal to polish Arteta’s ranks, particularly prompting a pursuit for the Belgian’s replacement.
Why Martinelli Could Still Be Key to Arsenal's Attack
Under Carlo Ancelotti for the national team, the 25-year-old has operated centrally in the pockets and seems to relish the demands to escape pressure in this area.
He only earned one start in Brazil’s World Cup campaign across the Atlantic, which came when the five-time winners crashed out to Norway in the last 16.
To reach that stage in the first place, substitute Martinelli scored the last-gasp winner in stoppage time against Japan to salvage a cathartic 2-1 victory.
An outpouring of relief that turned out to only delay the disgruntlement of Brazilian supporters.
He took his goal really well by controlling with his left foot and then slotting his effort into the bottom corner with his right, all from a position where a striker would ordinarily be prowling the box to grab the late headlines.
So, perhaps this is something for Arteta to experiment with when the new campaign commences, or later down the line once new prospective acquisitions are integrated into the attacking department.
With his contract expiring next summer, Martinelli will face stiff competition out wide should Arsenal lodge bids for their main targets Bradley Barcola or Morgan Rogers, and his output could sway whether his one-year extension is triggered in due course.
There are versatile qualities to lean into should the wing spots become contested once again and Martinelli can already take great pride in his climb with the Gunners during his seven-year stay so far.
How Arsenal discovered Martinelli
A purchase of £6 million now seems like a bargain for the services he has given since joining in 2019, ahead of Unai Emery’s second season at the helm.
Premier League clubs had delved into the Brazilian market before to source the newest prospects in the hope of not just unearthing the stereotypical skilful forward, but also the raw and competitive workhorse.
Upon leaving his role as national team coordinator for Brazil in 2019, Edu Gaspar had pinpointed Martinelli as a feasible target to propose to his new employers in North London, where he became technical director.
Rather than a forensic mission to scout specificity for Emery, Martinelli was freed from obscurity when Edu encountered the teenager.
Moving far away from home at age 18 was a daunting dive into the unknown without the familiarity of the language or many connections, but this is a common sacrifice youngsters are willing to make to launch more prosperous careers.
There was a cautious judgement made by Edu once Martinelli was tied down that the Brazilian would gradually stake his claim to break into the first team step by step.
Conversely, Emery quickly identified Martinelli’s strengths and entrusted the winger to embrace the rigours of the English top flight.
He went on to make 26 appearances in his debut season with Mikel Arteta taking the reins in December, including securing the club’s Goal of the Season when he galloped from deep inside his own half following a Chelsea set-piece and scored past now teammate Kepa Arrizabalaga.
This was the type of goal Edu was anticipating to light up the Premier League stage.
“Gabriel had exciting qualities; he was a lad who could explode in transition. At Ituano he scored one goal picking the ball up deep in his own half and running the length of the pitch — a feat he would later repeat for Arsenal against Chelsea. He showed enough to convince us he was absolutely worth investing in.”
The seeds of his best attribute of electric pace stemmed from his youth when he was introduced to futsal, like many budding footballers were in Brazil to lay the foundations before transferring the skills to football on bigger pitches.
Futsal conditions speed of thought and requires the acceleration over short distances to overcome an opponent, while the smaller indoor spaces facilitate the development of control under pressure.
This five-a-side format often falls under the assumption of producing predominantly skilful and luxury players; however, a relentless defensive concentration will be something those who have stepped out onto the court can also attest to.
Playing for Corinthians in their futsal setup, he caught the eye with the speed he now uses to torment Premier League defenders, and the early signs of his goalscoring prowess were evident.
Moving to Ituano’s academy at 14-years-old, he accelerated his attacking play. According to his Under 15s coach, Thiago Badari, Manchester United had been admirers of Martinelli, like Arsenal.
Martinelli Gives Arteta a Selection Dilemma
Martinelli’s dream to lift the World Cup with Brazil came to a grinding halt in the United States, but his season at club level culminated in the trophy he had long been craving, after witnessing Arsenal’s full rise from the doldrums to the summit.
The fledgling teenager who was called-up to simply train with the Brazil national team ahead of the 2019 Copa America triumph can look back and see the strides he has taken.
Into a new culture and into the world’s most competitive league, Martinelli has been a valuable asset under his two Spanish bosses at a club which gave him the tools to launch his career and noticed the rare breed of player that arises from the youth exposure to futsal.
It is hard to be sure on what Martinelli’s trajectory now looks like at North London in their bid to remain atop their perch, but Martinelli’s glimpses of promise centrally alongside his other qualities gives Arteta another tactical option as Arsenal prepare to defend their Premier League title.
