Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks as he looks to return to the form which shot him to stardom under Mikel Arteta.
The Brazilian international has seen his game time somewhat limited by a combination of fitness issues and the emergence of Leandro Trossard, who continues to go from strength to strength following his move from Brighton in 2022.
Martinelli, who ranked at no.7 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best left-wingers in the world right now, has struggled to replicate his magnificent output as Arteta‘s side have come under fire for their gradual progression to a more pragmatic approach.
Gabriel Martinelli could leave Arsenal for someone a little more ruthless to take his place
The Gunners find themselves in a title race once again this season, having missed out narrowly to Manchester City in each of the last two campaigns.
Bukayo Saka‘s imperious form under Arteta has been key to Arsenal’s sustained performances, while Kai Havertz’s impressive output over the past 12 months has helped offset the issues currently facing Gabriel Jesus.
However, Arsenal may need to look at improving on their electric Brazilian winger if they are to seriously challenge Manchester City for the title, according to former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant.
“I think the left-wing position is somewhere that Arsenal could improve on,” Pennant told Instant Casino.
“Gabriel Martinelli is a good player – he’s quick and he’s direct with good feet, he has got everything you want regarding a threat on the ball. However, at times when he gets into those positions where you’d back Bukayo Saka to finish a chance, Martinelli struggles to find that final pass or shot.
“If he can fix that end product to be more deadly, teams will be in a lot of bother with Arsenal, but if he can’t, then the club may have to look elsewhere in the next couple of transfer windows, especially as Raheem Sterling hasn’t been featuring an awful lot since he joined.”
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Martinelli arrived at the Emirates in 2019 at the age of 18 and has made 187 appearances for the Gunners since his debut.
Arsenal take on Newcastle this weekend when Premier League action returns.
