Berta-Arsenal
Gabriel Martinelli’s Arsenal future has been a slow-burn story all summer, and it looks like it’s about to pick up pace. A move to AS Roma has been floated for weeks, but it’s now looking a lot more concrete than it did even a few days ago.
Gabriel Martinelli and his shrinking role at Arsenal
The writing’s been on the wall since Christos Tzolis arrived. The new signing has been turning heads in pre-season, and with competition for wide areas already stacked, Martinelli looks set for a smaller role next season, a tough pill to swallow for a player who was a nailed-on starter not too long ago. His numbers last season already told part of that story, 30 appearances but only 11 starts, and just over 1,000 minutes in the league.
Reports out of Italy suggest Martinelli’s camp has been quietly shopping him around to clubs, and while Roma’s interest has been known for a while, it had stalled, until now.
Why Roma are back in to sign Martinelli
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, Roma sporting director Tony D’Amico was reportedly in London over the weekend, and the club appear to have shifted their attention away from Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa and onto Martinelli instead. Part of the appeal is timing: Martinelli’s contract runs down in 2027, which gives Roma leverage to negotiate a discount rather than paying full market value.
Roma’s sporting director already has a working relationship with Roc Nation, the agency that represents Martinelli, and has reportedly been in talks with them about other clients too, including Endrick and Malick Fofana. That existing relationship is said to be smoothing the path for a Martinelli conversation specifically.
Arsenal, for their part, are said to be confident a deal could actually get done. The club currently values Martinelli in the €40-45m range, and Roma think the contract situation gives them room to negotiate that number down.
Fee aside, the bigger obstacle is Martinelli’s salary demands. He’s said to be looking for around €11m a year, while Roma’s wage structure currently caps out closer to €9m. That gap will need closing before anything moves forward, though talks are expected to get underway soon regardless.
Would a move move actually suit him?
It’s easy to see the appeal on the pitch. Gian Piero Gasperini has built a reputation for getting the most out of direct wingers who like to cut inside and shoot, and that’s very much Martinelli’s game. If he’s willing to take a haircut on his wage demands, a fresh start under a coach with that specific profile could be exactly what he needs to rediscover his best form, something that didn’t consistently show up for Arsenal last season.
For now, it comes down to whether Martinelli himself is ready to accept reduced terms for a path to regular football. Everything else looks like it could fall into place around that decision.