Fan favourite Gabriel Martinelli has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. The North London side have been trying to extend the Brazilian’s contract since the beginning of this season, with negotiations underway since last September.
Martinelli is currently in his fourth season at the Emirates Stadium and has become one of the key players in attack for the Gunners at the tender age of 21. Manager Mikel Arteta has displayed his confidence in the young forward on several occasions, and it has paid off.
The Brazilian winger has featured on 113 occasions for the Red and White across all competitions (stats via Transfermarkt). Since joining in 2019, he has scored 25 goals and assisted 16 times. He has had a thrilling experience with the Gunners so far, and the future also looks promising.
Gabriel Martinelli has cemented his place as a starter in this Arsenal squad since last season. This season, he has been a vital cog for Mikel Arteta’s side, who currently lead the Premier League table with 5 points, scoring 7 goals and assisting twice in 20 games.
Arsenal confirmed on their official website that Gabriel Martinelli will be playing for the club for a longer period of time. The Brazilian has penned down a new four-and-a-half year contract with the North London side which will run till 2027.
The journey continues 🙏
I’m so proud to have signed another contract with The Arsenal family.
From the moment I joined the staff, my teammates and the supporters have made me feel at home ❤️
I’m excited for what the future holds at this special club 👊
COYG 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/QRwEPO0X8S
— Gabriel Martinelli (@gabimartinelli) February 3, 2023
Arsenal Sporting Director Edu has been satisfied with the shift that Martinelli is putting in. Moreover, the youngster has earned the respect and confidence of the coaches at the club. This is what Arteta has said about the winger’s contract extension:
“We’re delighted Gabi has signed a new long-term contract. Our supporters see his quality and energy every single time he puts on the shirt and he’s the same every day in training, with his hard work and positive values.”
“Gabi is still very young, so we know there’s still much more to come from him and it’s great that we’ll be on this journey together. We’re now excited to continue to develop his huge talent and look forward to seeing him perform with Arsenal in the years to come.”
Arsenal are currently leading the Premier League as they are five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City. The winger has been a key part of the Arsenal supremacy that we are seeing right now. He now faces competition from Leandro Trossard on the left wing. However, Arteta will most likely still prefer the Brazilian to start the game because of his reliability and work rate.
Can Gabriel Martinelli Help Arsenal Achieve Greater Heights?
One of the most important attributes of Gabriel Martinelli is his work rate. He does not stop running and such players are vital when playing big games. Most managers prefer a player with a good work rate rather than a player who waits for his team to win back possession. A work rate like Martinelli’s definitely gets rewarded in one way or the other.
Although the 21-year-old is not heavily involved in the number of goals and assists, he still plays a crucial role in creating those goals. He takes 2.2 shots per game, while completing 1.7 key passes per game and also 1.4 dribbles per game in all competitions (stats via whoscored). His dribbling and passing abilities help create opportunities for his teammates.
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The current Arsenal frontline is very young but are still troubling the best of opposition defences. We can only wait till we get to see how deadly the attacking line will be in the peak years of their career. Martinelli is one of the prime members of the attack and he will potentially engrave his name in history if he manages to help the Gunners win the Premier League this season.
Not only this season, but Arsenal look like a serious threat for the next season too. The Gunners will be potentially playing in the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17. They will need the work rate and skills of Gabriel Martinelli to reach the knockout stages or even win the Champions League. Nevertheless, he looks set on becoming one of the core players at Arsenal.
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