Arsenal Target Left Wing Reinforcement: Rodrygo Eyed?

Despite the fan discussion and media buzz, Arsenal`s need for a central striker appears relatively straightforward. The club has long recognized the necessity to bolster this position and has spent the current summer period (and the time leading up to it) in discussions with the representatives and clubs of Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyökeres. At some point, they will commit financially to securing a new forward capable of adding the goals that were lacking in their attack last season.

The situation becomes more complex when considering how to complete their attacking line-up. Arsenal are also seeking a wide attacker, specifically an addition on the left flank who can replicate the star-level performance Bukayo Saka provides on the right. Just three years ago, it seemed Mikel Arteta might already possess this talent. At that time, Gabriel Martinelli was on the verge of a breakthrough season, ultimately leading Arsenal`s scoring charts with all 15 goals coming in the Premier League. The Brazilian was incredibly sharp near the goal, combined brilliantly with Gabriel Jesus, and played with apparent fearlessness.

That version of the player has still been visible in the two subsequent years, but less frequently. The last two seasons have yielded only 14 Premier League goals and eight assists combined. Martinelli remains highly effective, and much of his value extends beyond goal contributions. His underlying statistics are also respectable; a combined 0.49 non-penalty expected goals and expected assists (npxG+xAG) is a figure many Premier League wide players would value.

However, Arsenal`s ambitions are higher than most, and to compete for major honours, they may require an X-factor presence on the wings to complement Saka. Can Martinelli provide that, and what would increased competition for his spot mean?

Could Martinelli Be Sold?

It should be noted that, according to sources familiar with the situation, Arsenal are not actively looking to sell Martinelli. While every player in their squad has a potential price, perhaps even one that one of the world`s wealthiest clubs could meet, there is no internal pressure to offload the winger to finance other transfers.

There are certainly clubs in the market who admire the 24-year-old Brazilian. Bayern Munich is one such admirer, and links to Saudi Arabia have also surfaced. Sources indicate that Al-Nassr has internally discussed the forward, but the Saudi club has not yet submitted a formal proposal to Arsenal and is not currently preparing one.

Crucially, sources close to Martinelli suggest he would not be prepared to consider a move to the Pro League at this stage of his career. The forward is focused on securing a place in the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup, and while players from Saudi Arabia have been included in the Seleção squad, Martinelli`s best chance of making Carlo Ancelotti`s group would likely come from playing at the highest level of European football.

From Arsenal`s perspective, Martinelli has remained a valued member of Arteta`s squad, even if his goal tally hasn`t been as high recently. Only five players have accumulated more Premier League minutes for the Gunners over the last three seasons than the Brazilian. His form was recognized with a new contract signed late in 2023, keeping him at the club until 2027 with an option for a further year. At 24, his prime years may still be ahead.

These qualities also make Martinelli an attractive player for other clubs. Nevertheless, unless a club makes an exceptional offer, Arsenal`s priority will be on adding a player who enhances the already strong wide options, rather than a simple swap. This is a desirable position for the club to be in.

Is Rodrygo the Answer Amid Saudi Interest?

Rodrygo, Martinelli`s Brazilian national teammate, is a prominent name among the options Arsenal are reportedly considering to strengthen their flanks. This is understandable, given that the 24-year-old seems to have become less central to Real Madrid`s starting lineup since Xavi Alonso took charge at the Club World Cup. As of now, there has been no clear indication from Spain or the team currently on tour in America that a final decision has been made about his future, but if he were to decide to leave the Santiago Bernabéu, Arsenal would be among the leading contenders for his signature.

However, they are not the only interested party. Sources report that Saudi Arabian side Neom SC is preparing a significant bid for Rodrygo. Newly promoted to the Pro League, Neom is owned by the organization planning the city of the same name in the country`s northwest. Neom`s funding comes from the sovereign wealth fund PIF, which has heavily invested in the Pro League`s top four clubs over the past two years, significantly altering the global transfer market.

It remains unclear to what extent Rodrygo would consider a move away from Europe, but interest from one of Saudi Arabia`s richest clubs, intent on signing star players this season, could significantly inflate the price for other suitors. In a summer where Arsenal are also adding defensive players (Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi, and Kepa Arrizabalaga are close to arriving, with talks ongoing for Valencia center back Cristhian Mosquera), this could potentially force Arsenal into transfer decisions they might otherwise prefer not to make.

In Rodrygo`s case, such decisions would likely be worthwhile. The young Brazilian has already demonstrated his ability to perform in crucial moments, famously contributing to the win against Manchester City in the 2022 Champions League semifinals. Between 2022 and 2024, Rodrygo did it all: taking many shots, advancing the ball into dangerous areas, creating chances for himself and others. Last season, his output naturally decreased. In Real Madrid`s recent Champions League-winning sides, Rodrygo often played a supporting role to Vinícius Júnior. With the arrival of Mbappé, and with Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler, and Franco Mastantuono also in the squad, there`s a real risk of him becoming less prominent.

Alternative Options

This situation is something Rodrygo and Martinelli have in common. Part of the reason for the Arsenal winger`s high output in 2022-23, particularly before the World Cup, was Gabriel Jesus drifting to the left flank, providing someone for Martinelli to combine with – a central forward who would move wide and create space for Martinelli to cut into. Jesus`s knee injuries and the development of Granit Xhaka, and later Declan Rice, as midfielders who push into the box, have required Martinelli to become more of a touchline-hugging player. He now often stays wide to pull the opposition full-back out, creating more space on the opposite flank for Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard.

Attacking-wise, Arsenal`s focus is rightly on Saka and Ødegaard. Their combined play is as devastating as almost any attack in football. When evaluating which two forwards Arsenal should add this summer, a primary question should be how they would fit alongside Saka and Ødegaard. Could they be an off-ball threat who finishes chances created from the right? (One intriguing aspect of potentially signing Rodrygo is whether he would continue being the lower-touch player he`s become at Madrid or if his talent could shift Arsenal`s attacking emphasis.)

This makes assessing how other targets might perform in Martinelli`s position challenging. Consider Eberechi Eze, whose representatives Arsenal are reported to have met with recently. A look at his statistics suggests that from his inside left position, he offers significantly more direct output than Arsenal`s number 11. He averages nearly three and a half shots per game with 0.31 xG, compared to Martinelli`s 2.15 shots and 0.29 xG, and also creates more chances (two versus 1.5). While one of Martinelli`s great strengths is his defensive work rate, Eze recovers the ball notably more often.

Similarly, Martinelli struggles to match the raw output of Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers, both linked with a move to North London. However, is this simply a result of the relatively limited number of touches he receives? Evaluating each player based on their contribution per 100 touches offers a different perspective on the Brazilian.

How Martinelli Compares to Arsenal’s Premier League Targets

Per 100 touches, Premier League 2024-25

Adjusting the playing field by looking at touches per 100 certainly provides a different perspective on what appeared to be a less productive year for Martinelli. He touched the ball approximately 43 times per 90 minutes, while Eze had around 55 and Gordon 52. Rogers is closer at 44.5 and doesn`t necessarily offer much more output based on this metric.

Further adjustments can always be made. Obviously, adjusting to per 100 touches doesn`t account for where those touches occur; a player like Eze is expected to be more involved in deep build-up play as an off-ball threat operating from the left. However, adjusting to every 100 touches in the attacking third shows Martinelli averaging an expected goal. Only Eze, at 1.35, surpasses this, which is unsurprising given he takes more than twice as many shots as the Brazilian.

Still, questions remain. Eze is central to the offense of a mid-table team; does that explain his high numbers, or do those numbers simply reflect his talent for getting on the ball and creating scoring opportunities for himself? Is Martinelli touching the ball less frequently because he doesn`t offer the same security in possession and build-up play that other left wingers might? Would Arsenal`s build-up strategy change to accommodate a player like Eze or Rodrygo? The latter might be the type of wide player who could propel the Gunners towards the silverware they desire, but would he overshadow Martinelli, bring out the best in him, or function as a useful third wide option?

These are questions without simple answers. Perhaps the only clear conclusion is that Arsenal already possess a highly valuable winger to complement Saka. Now, with Martinelli having set a high standard, they must find another.