Arsenal Retains Gabriel Martinelli After Missing £20m Transfer Valuation

Arsenal considered selling winger Gabriel Martinelli during the recent summer transfer window, setting a valuation of £60 million that no interested club was willing to meet, with offers topping out around £40 million. Despite his dip in form last season and the arrival of new attacking players like Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, manager Mikel Arteta affirmed Martinelli's ongoing importance to the team and his role in the squad's tactical plans. Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott criticized Martinelli's performance in a recent match against Liverpool, specifically highlighting his failure to exploit Liverpool's makeshift right-back Dominik Szoboszlai. Martinelli has been a significant player for Arsenal since joining in 2019, contributing 51 goals and 29 assists in 227 appearances, although his recent output has not matched the breakthrough 2022/23 season. While Arsenal was open to an upgrade on the left flank and willing to cash in on Martinelli, they remained firm on their valuation, which contributed to no transfer materializing. The club's transfer strategy also includes interest in other Brazilian talents, such as Nottingham Forest's defender Murillo.