Arsenal Attacker Wanted By Barcelona: Should The Gunners Let Him Leave?

Spanish news outlet Fichajes has reported that FC Barcelona are interested in signing Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal and are willing to pay €45 million to sign him. The Catalan club need to sign a left-winger and are focusing on strengthening their attacking output in the upcoming summer.

FC Barcelona want to sign Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli is just 23 years old and has his prime years left ahead of him. The Brazilian has been effective for the Gunners in certain stages of his career. Arsenal don’t have the depth in their attack due to the underperformance of Gabriel Jesus and also injury issues. Therefore, accepting the €45 million bid for a 23-year-old player like Martinelli could be a big mistake for Mikel Arteta.

He has explosive pace, dribbling ability, and a relentless work rate. His direct style of play makes him a constant threat in one-on-one situations, while his sharp movement allows him to exploit spaces effectively. Martinelli possesses excellent finishing skills, often cutting inside to unleash powerful shots. Martinelli also contributes defensively with his pressing and high energy levels, fitting seamlessly into high-intensity systems.

His agility and quick decision-making enable him to link up well with teammates. With his technical skills, determination, and versatility, Martinelli continues to develop into a top-tier attacking talent. So, he is definitely a quality player with a great future for Arsenal.

Why Arsenal should not let him leave?

Martinelli has scored 6 goals in 22 matches so far in the Premier League 2024/2025 season. Overall, his goals scored per 90 minutes is 0.37. Moreover, Martinelli’s total G/A (goals + assists) is 9 for this season. His goal involvement equates to 0.55 per 90 minutes. His non-penalty xG per 90 minutes is 0.35. This puts Gabriel Martinelli’s npxG output at 5.66.

Looking into his passing aspect of the game, Martinelli passes the ball roughly 23.21 times during a game with a pass completion rate of 76.92%. He also plays 1.54 key passes each game. Overall, Martinelli Silva’s xA (expected assists) output is 0.20 per 90 minutes.

So, in my opinion, it would be foolish for the Gunners to let a player of his quality leave for Barcelona given that they are already suffering from a lack of attacking depth. However, they might look to raise cash for better signings. So, only the upcoming summer transfer window will clear up all the doubts.