Jay Bothroyd believes that one player Arsenal wanted to sign back in 2023 is actually better than Gabriel Martinelli, and insisted that he would have really thrived had he moved to the Emirates.
Arsenal have got very little wrong in the transfer market in recent years, with Edu and Mikel Arteta building a squad which has become Premier League title contenders.
Of course, the marquee additions such as Declan Rice and Kai Havertz have proved to be inspired, but they have also landed some real bargains.
One of the standout signings over the last two years has been the move for Leandro Trossard, with the £27 million deal for the Belgian proving to be a masterstroke.
Mykhailo Mudryk rated higher than Gabriel Martinelli
At the time however, fans would have been forgiven for feeling uninspired by the move, particularly as it came as Arsenal missed out on the deal to sign Mykhailo Mudryk, with the Ukrainian instead joining Chelsea.
It is fair to say that Mudryk’s time at Chelsea has been much tougher, with Trossard being directly involved in 21 more goals in the same period at Arsenal.
Perhaps surprisingly therefore, Jay Bothroyd has told The Optus Sport Football Podcast that he would actually put Mudryk ahead of Gabriel Martinelli as he discussed Ukraine’s chances at Euro 2024.
“Mudryk, for me, he’s a top player, you know. I think, if he was at Arsenal under those kind of conditions and that kind of play style, seriously, I’m not just saying that, I think he would have been really good,” he said.
“I don’t think they would have won the league still, but I think he’s better than Martinelli.”
Arsenal star’s quiet season has still been more impressive
Gabriel Martinelli is not as consistent as Bukayo Saka on the opposite flank, and he will be disappointed with his tally of six goals and four assists in the Premier League this past season.
But it is hard to see how Bothroyd places Mudryk above Martinelli right now, particularly as the Brazilian is actually a few months younger than the Chelsea winger.
Perhaps he will be vindicated in the years to come; there have been glimpses from Mudryk over the last few months which hint at the real potential he has.
But as things stand, it would be no surprise if few agreed with Bothroyd’s statement.