Mikel Arteta has dismissed suggestions that Arsenal could look to cash in on Gabriel Martinelli before Monday’s transfer deadline.
The Brazil international started the opening-day win over Manchester United but was replaced in the starting lineup by new signing Noni Madueke for Saturday’s clash with Leeds. Later in the game, Arteta turned to 15-year-old Max Dowman and Leandro Trossard from the bench.
With Eberechi Eze also joining in a big-money move from Crystal Palace, questions have been raised about Martinelli’s long-term role at the club. The 24-year-old had previously been linked with Bayern Munich earlier in the summer, but Arteta told his [pre-Liverpool press conference](https://www.arsenal.com/news/every-word-artetas-pre-liverpool-presser-0) that the winger remains firmly part of his plans.
“Gabi has been a super important player for us and he’s going to remain to be very, very, very important.
“And the fact that we have options with different qualities, that’s going to fulfil what we want, because every opponent is going to require different things. And then the state, the moment, the way that those players are impacting the game.
“And that competition is needed. We have him in many other areas on the pitch. And he’s needed, especially in the front line, to start the game and to finish the game. So, I’m very happy with what we have.”
Despite a lengthy injury list heading into Sunday’s match with Liverpool, competition for places remains fierce thanks to a summer spent strengthening in key areas. The question now is how Arteta keeps all his game-hungry players happy, something he admits will be a challenge once the squad is fully fit.
“I care that everybody is as happy as they possibly can be. That’s a big part of my job, our job at the end, to make sure that every player feels that he’s fulfilling his potential. And he’s doing what he loves the most, which is to play football.
“So far with the squad that we have and the five, six, seven injuries that we already have, we haven’t had many problems to make the squad.
“But with everybody available, that will be a different scenario. But we’re going to have to live with that. And that’s why that competition is going to raise the level for everybody.”
On the subject of raising the level, Arteta was asked about the club’s decision to target goal-getters and creators such as Eze and striker Viktor Gyökeres.
Arteta replied: “We have to add players who add value to things that can define football matches and those two, they have the ability at the end to make the final action in many ways – to finish with the ball in the back of the net, which is the outcome that we want in every action that we have in our attacking phase.
“Those two, they’re going to add these individual actions, magic moments, and that’s what we need to win games.”
After a week on the training ground with Eze, the boss had the following assessment: “I’m really impressed with him. I heard a lot of things about him. I spoke to a lot of people about him. Really bright, very special energy, a special aura around him and he’s really willing.
“He’s already gathered a lot of information on the things that we want to see on the pitch. But especially, making sure that he has the freedom and the capacity to express his quality, which is the reason why we brought him here.
“I think when you are next to him, you are comfortable. He’s got a big smile.
“He picks teams apart. He asks you the right questions and then just let him flow with the ball and the ability he has to pick passes, to drive past people effortlessly and just to understand the timing of things, it’s very impressive.
He added: “We have a lot of players now that can play in different positions and they can fulfil gaps when we have them.
“And looking at the start of the season that we already had with injuries, that’s going to be very necessary. So I’m very happy to have the ability to do that.”
With the season still in its early stages, Arteta is clearly intent on building a squad brimming with quality and flexibility. For Martinelli, that means more competition than ever before, but also the chance to prove his worth in a team determined to challenge on all fronts.