Gabriel Martinelli still has the tools to be one of the best wingers in Europe — and Arsenal would be foolish to give up on that now.
He is 24, explosive, hardworking and already battle-tested in the Premier League. Players with that profile do not grow on trees.
And when they show a ceiling like Martinelli did in 2022–23, with 15 Premier League goals and tireless off-ball energy, the smart thing to do is hold tight — not cash in.
There is no doubt the last two seasons have been quieter statistically. But even without the goals, Martinelli has remained a key cog in Arteta’s pressing machine.
He tracks back without complaint, stretches defences with his runs and brings balance to the side. He does the ugly work, even when the numbers are not on his side.
That kind of mentality should matter in this Arsenal team, especially with a title challenge and Champions League campaign to juggle. You need options. You need players who don’t sulk, who fight through dips.
The idea of selling Martinelli to fund a winger upgrade sounds logical until you look at the market. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens? Nico Williams?
Both are talented, but neither is miles ahead of Martinelli. In fact, both still hover around the same performance levels — and unlike Martinelli, they will need to adapt to the Premier League from scratch.
And now Bayern Munich are watching. This is a club with a proven track record of identifying elite wingers.
Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman — the pattern is clear. If they see something in Martinelli, Arsenal should be asking themselves what they might be overlooking.
This isn’t just about sentiment. This is about strategy. Replacing a proven player with an uncertain one for a similar price doesn’t move you forward — it only resets the clock.
Martinelli may never repeat his 2022–23 form exactly. But players who hit that level at 21 don’t just fade away. That version of him is still in there. The way to get it back isn’t by selling — it is by trusting.
Letting him go now wouldn’t be brave. It would be foolish.