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Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr are reportedly looking to sign Gabriel Martinelli this summer. The Saudi Pro League side see him as the ideal replacement for Jhon Duran.
As per a report in GiveMeSport, Al Nassr want to sign a forward and are set to make a move for the Arsenal star. The Brazilian is their 'Plan B' after Liverpool rebuffed all their approaches for Luis Diaz.
The report adds that Al Nassr will test the Gunners' resolve by launching a €85 million bid. They were willing to offer that amount for the Liverpool star, but are now looking to use that fund to lure the Brazilian.
Arsenal are looking to bring in a new left-winger this summer and have been linked with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon. Mikel Arteta's side do not see Martinelli as the player to be starting on the left side of their attack and have been looking for replacements.
Martinelli scored eight goals and assisted four times in his 33 Premier League matches last season. He had another two goals in the 13 UEFA Champions League matches, where he assisted once.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr are set to part ways with Jhon Duran, just six months after signing him from Aston Villa. The striker is set to join Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce this summer and talks have already begun.
When former Arsenal star claimed Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr target Gabriel Martinelli is underrated at Arsenal
Former Arsenal star Anders Limpar spoke to My Betting Sites in 2024 and claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr target Gabriel Martinelli was underrated at the Emirates. He added that the fans needed to see beyond the Brazilian's goal contributions, saying:
“I feel a little bit sorry for Martinelli because he's tremendous for the team. So you shouldn't just look at his goal contributions. You should look at the whole picture. His work-rate in the defence, setting up the ball for others and scoring occasionally. It is like this when you're an attacking player for a top team like Arsenal, Man City or Liverpool. You always look at the points. You need to be end-product players. Martinelli is an end product player but he is taking so much defensive responsibility, that he's lacking the end product."
"I like him as a player and we shouldn't criticise him as much as we do. Martinelli's underappreciated for sure. He's not the best defender. Saka is not the best defender. But they are unbelievable going forward. Out of the two, Martinelli has the bigger heart for the team. And again it's a bit harsh of me to say that because I love Saka, he's one of the top players in the Premier League. He should just go forward. But Martinelli has so much heart, he's working his balls off for the team. You shouldn't forget that."
The Gunners got Raheem Sterling as the cover for the left-wing position last season, but the Chelsea loanee failed to make an impact. Cristiano Ronaldo's side are keen on adding reinforcements this summer as they look to win the Saudi Pro League title.
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Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist who has been with the company for around 10 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.
Sripad has been a Chelsea fan through and through since the age of 9 and can watch their 2012 Champions League triumph on repeat. The undisputed ‘GOAT’ according to him is Lionel Messi and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Apart from popular European leagues, he also likes to follow other leagues like the MLS, Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie, and Liga MX.
Sripad believes in only using the right sources for his articles, and is an expert in understanding how to get the right quotes for each news to provide proper background information. His exploits have led him to become a popular figure in European Football and interviewing Premier League legends such as Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Paul Dickov, and John Barnes. His articles have been much revered amongst the football fraternity and have been shared by the likes of John Terry, Gary Lineker, and Declan Rice.
If given a chance to change a football rule, Sripad wants VAR to be fully automated and offside rules to be less stringent. When not working, he likes to watch past Formula 1 races and play FIFA.
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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee