Arsenal are currently considering a swoop for one Premier League star who would help to bring the best out of Gabriel Martinelli.
Gabriel Martinelli was not at his best for Arsenal last season.
The 23-year-old was a regular for the Gunners, as he made 44 appearances across all competitions. However, he could only contribute 8 goals and 5 assists in those outings, whereas in the campaign prior he had racked up 15 goals and 6 assists.
Fluctuations in form are not unusual for a young player, and Mikel Arteta will be confident that Martinellli will be able to quickly get back to his best.
However, the Brazilian’s struggles last season were not entirely down to him or the natural ebbs and flows of his own development.
Under Arteta, the Gunners have regularly been a side that lean towards building up play on their right flank. The likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Ben White share fantastic chemistry in that part of the pitch.
On the other hand, with Granit Xhaka having left the club and the starting left-back often being chopped and changed, Martinelli has suffered as a result of not having teammates on his wavelength and attuned to his style of play in his vicinity.
Gabriel Martinelli could be real winner if Arsenal sign Eberechi Eze this summer
Arteta is keen to sign a left-back this summer. That, and the availability of Jurrien Timber in the upcoming campaign, will go some way to addressing the issue. However, Arsenal must also now find an ideal candidate to take up the left-eight berth in midfield.
The Gunners need a player who can link play with Martinelli in much the same manner that Odegaard does so effectively and frequently with Saka.
Arsenal are now eyeing-up a move for Eberechi Eze, as reported by The Guardian. The Crystal Palace star could be available this summer for £60 million.
Caught Offside report that the North London club are “seriously interested” in the England international. That same publication have also described Eze as a player with an “X factor.”
Would Eze be good for Martinelli at Arsenal?
Like Odegaard, Eze is a technically gifted, creative player with an eye for goal. He is comfortable playing centrally behind the striker, but has also played on the left flank in his career and is very capable on that side of the pitch.
The 25-year-old could prove to be a perfect foil for Martinelli, allowing the Arsenal ace to get back to his best. They are both capable to moving the ball at pace in confined spaces, and could dovetail to make the Gunners as devastating an attacking force on the left as they are on the right.