Gabriel Martinelli (11)

I do find it crazy how Bayern have been linked with any semi decent player than can play out wide but Rodrygo.

Maybe things are happening under the hood that we don’t know about. We offered Trossard a new contract yet the club were sounding out that they wanted two new wide players.

I’ll be surprised if he’s still here in September, Gunnerblog was saying that we shouldn’t be surprised if a big name leaves to give us the funds to get our targets. Looking around the team, he seems to be the most likely candidate. Hopefully we get a LW in first though, imagine the fuss if the first big transfer is a first teamer being sold, hot on the heels of Partey not re-signing. Ouch.

We shouldn’t sell him. He’s the only player in our squad who can actually run into space on the break.

If we sell him we might actually have the slowest midfield and attack in the league.

2 Likes

If we sell him, the hope is we replace him with someone better, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I would rather keep him as well but he’s hit his ceiling and the chances of him getting better seem low so I am quite okay with getting someone new.

Even if we get someone better he isn’t the one that should be sold, at least not yet

Trossard is the one who should depart in that scenario, he’s served his purpose.

If we do actually sign an upgrade Martinelli should be the backup for at least the next season, perfectly fine to let him go next summer if they find a replacement rather than giving him a new contract (makes sense actually) but at least he has the required physical tools, Trossard is slow AF and has poor athleticism.

3 Likes

Again, I don’t disagree but neither of them move the needle for us much next season. So if it takes selling Martinelli to get a player who does, then am all for it. I’d rather keep him and get a new player but we don’t might not have the money to do that as Trossard won’t fetch us much.

We shouldn’t have to sell Martinelli to do so really

We spent nothing in January and barely anything last summer

3 Likes

I don’t know man. The way we are moving in this window, it feels like we don’t have a lot to work with. We should be keeping Partey but it looks like we might not, reportedly because of his wage demands. And now we seem to be open to selling Martinelli when Trossard is the one that should go.

It could also just be a case of us wanting to get some of the big signings done before going all out in the market, but am not so confident. Ideally, we sell Zinny, Trossard, Nelson and keep the reset of the squad, and add an experienced striker, a left winger, a second striker who can be a project.

3 Likes

You may be right about the tight budget and if that’s the case then stick a fork in the supposed title ambitions right now

Because we’d be beyond cooked

1 Like

I disagree with the budget angle.

If anything this would suggest an preference (of which there’s plenty evidence) for a small squad. Which would be a grave error.

1 Like

We’ve failed to win the title because of a lack of quality and injuries to key attacking players, so selling one of the better players like Martinelli, to then replace him with an inconsistent player like Rodrygo, who’s never played In the PL, isn’t strengthening at all.

Martinelli is still young and despite some poor performances, would be a very good squad option, especially when it’s obvious we lack depth upfront.

Just replacing Martinelli is pointless because if Rodrygo is injured or out of form, then we’ll have only Trossard as cover so we need to strengthen our attack with top quality first team players, as well as decent players on the bench who can compete with them.

1 Like

https://x.com/JacobsBen/status/1939034098171027471
MARTINELLI!!!

€90m and he’s yours lads.

€85m for Diaz is exactly the kind of transfer these fucks always seem to luck into.

5 Likes

I don’t think this is any time to reverse a worrying trend under Wenger of frequently selling our best players. The last time we sold a top quality first team regular was Alexis Sanchez, since then we’ve strengthened without losing players that make a difference.

Xkaka and Partey are the ones that come closest and they were end of contract situations. I would have tried to keep both for another season but, they’re humans who wanted a new challenge and a good final salary.

Selling Martinelli after one underwhelming season is bonkers.

1 Like

Two underwhelming seasons post 22/23 imo.

9 Likes

For the right money, anyone is for sale. Especially someone not looking up to it for 18 months.

I like martinelli as a squad player and think he can be better again but, if they drop a 250m bid for saka, he could also probably go. Much rather a stupid deal for gabi or trossard obviously.

7 Likes

Also Martinelli is nowhere near one of our best players. If he was, we wouldn’t be seeking to demote him to the bench for one of the new players we’ve been linked with.

It’s about time we start bringing in proper money for our wantaways.

There’s certainly players in the team that I consider untouchable. Martinelli may have been one 2-3 years ago. He isn’t one anymore.
Obviously my preference is to keep him, even as backup in case we sign a new starting left winger. but if a massive Saudi offer(over £70m) arrives, it would be something to consider.

He’s not been the same since Xhaka left.

SInce then he’s been served on the left side of midfield by Rice, Merino, Havertz and Trossard. Meanwhile on the hand side right, mostly Odegaard supplying Saka.

Maybe his loss of consistency is a him problem, maybe it’s also the lack of consistent partnerships. When he’s on his game, when Merino gave him the perfect ball in Madrid, he scored a brilliant goal.

Martinelli started dropping off with Xhaka in the side.
He had a hot 3-4 months ahead of that World Cup in 2022 but I’d say since 2023 he has been on a steady decline.

I think part of it is teams figuring him out and him not developing at the rate you’d expect him to.
Still a good player, and could still be dangerous in certain contexts but he’s not proven to be someone that should be a starter week in week out.

1 Like