How Arsenal can signal their good Martinelli alternative this week

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

The Gunners must signal a brand new ahead do they? Effectively, not on the proof of their first two video games of the season. In beating Manchester Metropolis within the Group Protect 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.

REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Arteta has been there earlier than. He is taken Arsenal from being the practically males to the membership everybody desires to be. Nonetheless, they don’t seem to be 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 large 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 discount price of simply £6m from Ituano in Brazil.

Effectively, seven years on, it could be protected to say he has been price each penny of that. He is now set to affix Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia for £50m. It is a unhappy finish to his Arsenal journey reality be advised.

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

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 fully revamping their choices on the left aspect 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 degree.

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 just about 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 switch him.

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

Even earlier than Arteta had made a remaining resolution on the way forward for Martinelli, Arsenal had been exploring the concept of signing two new forwards this summer time.

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

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 must look elsewhere. How about Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye? Reviews earlier this summer time recommended that they had made an enquiry to Everton concerning his availability.

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

Whereas Ndiaye is probably not the Vini Junior-type of signing that followers had been craving, as Arsenal goal to switch Martinelli, Ndiaye can be an exceptional alternative.

Hailed as “probably the greatest 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 is probably not too eye-catching – he scored simply six targets and registered three assists final time period – however his knowledge throughout a few of the most necessary metrics for a large participant paint a optimistic image.

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

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

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 is probably not Vini, Barcola or Morgan Rogers, he would nonetheless be an thrilling addition, notably in gentle of Martinelli departing.