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Arsenal deservedly won the Premier League last season, ending two decades of searching for the pinnacle of English football.
It had been an interminable wait, but well worth it as Mikel Arteta and his side breezed past their competition.
Arteta spoke ahead of the new campaign of his mindset: not defending the title, but attacking the division once again, seeking to win that trophy from last year’s iteration of Gunners, now rivals of the current Emirates side.
REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Having climbed to the summit, Arsenal are now tweaking their team. Additions are still needed in attack, with Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres having left bits to be desired last year.
How Martinelli has fallen at Arsenal
Arsenal have addressed a number of problems this summer. In midfield, Bruno Guimaraes adds bona fide world-class quality, and Christos Tzolis has dovetailed right into the squad at left wing.
For Martinelli, it might be the end of the line. The Brazil international only scored once in the Premier League last season, and Arsenal are still keen on signing another wide forward before the window slams shut.
Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Last season, Martinelli only scored once in the Premier League. It's been a long career in north London for the 25-year-old, but he only started 11 games as Arteta lifted the title, missing seven big chances and creating one chance around every two games on average.
While Martinelli would prefer to remain at the Emirates, Arsenal are ready to cash in if the price is right. The goalscoring winger's goals have dried up, and his influence has indeed waned.
The £35m signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge has shown the early readings of success, and that will only hamper Martinelli in his fight for a regular starting role.
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Gabriel Martinelli's Premier League Career
Season
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23/24
22/23
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19/20
But his situation may yet be further compounded, with Arsenal looking to add more attacking quality to their ranks before the end of the transfer window.
How Arsenal plan to replace Martinelli
Leandro Trossard has already been sold to Besiktas this summer. Arsenal might have added Tzolis to the ranks, but if Martinelli is going to leave, they will need to secure a replacement - preferably someone who marks a significant upgrade.
Well, according to the one and only David Ornstein, speaking to TNT Sports, Arsenal really "like" Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz, and they are prepared to be opportunistic in exploring a deal before the transfer deadline.
“Arsenal would like to improve their frontline further. That is why they are so keen on Julian Alvarez, but I’m not sure Alvarez is so keen on a move back to England & that could be the stumbling block.”
"I think if push came to shove, Atletico Madrid would do a deal to Arsenal - as opposed to Barcelona, the doors are closed there. They like Kenan Yildiz, but the doors are closed from Juventus.”
REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
It's not going to be easy, and it's not just the tone of Ornstein's voice that conveys that. Juve would likely be seeking around £87m for the Turkey international's departure.
Yildiz is an elegant and skilled on the ball. The 21-year-old is "100% a superstar", in the view of Ben Mattinson, and though he's not the fastest attacking midfielder out there, he is among the finest technicians out there, very much an 'Arsenal' kind of forward.
Martinelli can't hold a candle to Yildiz, whose all-encompassing attacking nature is exactly what the Gunners attack lacked at points last season. Not quite stale, per se, Arsenal definitely left something to be desired up top, their success built on defensive solidity and supreme organisation, rather than special attacking play.
Yildiz would add that dimension. He posted ten goals and six assists in Serie A last season, outstripping Arsenal's left winger in that regard, but he also created 15 big chances, won 4.9 duels per game and completed 84% of his passes.
This is a first-class forward, and his positional versatility only deepens that argument that he should join the pack in north London, adding the kind of flair and prolific consistency that has been sorely missing at an outfit who are oh-so close to achieving superstardom, not just success.
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Arsenal have enjoyed a flying start to the season, and they are only going to improve as new signings gel over the coming months.
Adding a winger of Yildiz's ilk would take Arteta's project into a different stratosphere. Let's see if technical director Andrea Berta can get it done.
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