Declan Rice, William Saliba react to Martinelli’s post amid Arsenal exit rumours
Gabriel Martinelli’s latest message on social media caught the attention of his Arsenal teammates amid speculation around his future this summer.
The 23-year-old has been a regular for Mikel Arteta‘s side this summer, notching 10 goals and five assists in 51 total appearances across all competitions, but it remains to be seen what next season holds.
Football Insider understands that Arsenal are eyeing a replacement for Martinelli this summer, with the Gunners believing the winger can be upgraded ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The North London side lacked a clinical forward in the second half of the campaign, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Bukayo Saka spending time on the sidelines, and Mikel Merino adapting to a centre-forward role instead.
Injuries likely played a massive role in the Gunners missing out on the Premier League title by such a large margin, and also being knocked out of the Champions League, and Arteta will want to avoid a repeat next season.
Gabriel Martinelli enjoys life away from Arsenal
Taking to Instagram (11 June), Martinelli wrote: “Qualified for the World Cup. Always an honour to wear this shirt!!! Go Brazil,” with two national flag emojis.
Teammates Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Gabriel Jesus all liked the post, as did Brazilians Roberto Firmino, Savinho, Vinicius Junior, and Lucas Paqueta.
The 23-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Brazil beat Paraguay 1-0 in the early hours of Wednesday, 11 June, but it was Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior who netted the decisive winner.
Mikel Arteta risks fan fury in North London without silverware
Football Insider verdict
Arsenal fans were ready to part ways with Arteta after being knocked out of the Champions League by PSG, having been unable to lift silverware since 2019/20 via the FA Cup.
However, with Andrea Berta appointed to help with the transfer situation at the Emirates Stadium, the Spaniard could have one final chance to prove himself before being replaced at the helm.
The failure to purchase a striker during either of the last two windows truly dented the Gunners’ hopes of bringing a trophy back to North London, though Merino did well as a makeshift centre-forward.
Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle United, and Chelsea clearly all mean business ahead of next season, so if the Gunners are to have any chance of winning the Premier League, they must invest heavily.
Selling Martinelli for a sizeable fee could certainly help fund an out-and-out striker signing, with Football Insider understanding that Sporting CP’s Vitkor Gyokeres is “happy” to join Arsenal.
Bulking up the midfield options would also be a sensible move from the Gunners, but it remains to be seen what type of business the club will do before the 2025/26 campaign begins.