Gabriel Martinelli has responded to a question about his Arsenal contract situation ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazil international is expected to start on the left-hand side when the Gunners host the Ligue 1 champions in an Emirates blockbuster, as Arsenal finally seek an inaugural triumph in Europe’s premier tournament.
When the campaign concludes, however, Martinelli is one of a handful of players whose futures will need addressing, as his current terms are due to expire at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Arsenal do have the option to extend Martinelli’s deal by a further 12 months, though, and it has been reported that the club are planning to open talks with the 23-year-old over a long-term extension.
Martinelli joined Mikel Arteta for pre-match media duties ahead of the visit of PSG, and the topic of his contract situation inevitably came up, but the attacker delivered a professional answer.
Martinelli: ‘Arsenal is my home’
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“I’ve always said I’m really happy here. This is my home. I love to be here. I love the club. The club has given me so much,” the former Ituano starlet told journalists.
Martinelli quickly rose to prominence at Arsenal following his arrival from the fourth tier of Brazilian football in 2019, and his 15 goals in the 2022-23 Premier League season is the joint-most from a player of his nation in a single campaign.
However, the 23-year-old has struggled to replicate such form since, averaging one direct goal contribution every three games across all competitions this season, nine of his own and six assists from 45 appearances.
Martinelli’s inconsistency and the lack of a lethal forward has led to the expectation that Arsenal will sign a new big-money number nine this summer, and the South American would relish the challenge of more competition for places.
“We play for Arsenal so it’s a competition everyday. The club wants to have the best players in the world. We’re used to it,” he added. “We are a big club so we need the best players. We’re happy when we have big players coming to the team.”
Has Martinelli done enough for a new Arsenal contract?
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While Martinelli should be the first to admit that his form over the past two years has been nothing spectacular, he has been a victim of Arsenal’s left-hand side going through significant changes in recent times.
During his standout 2022-23 campaign, Granit Xhaka and Oleksandr Zinchenko were breaking lines and playmaking from deep at will, giving Martinelli licence to drive at defenders and get into positions to score.
Now, it is Arsenal’s right-hand side that has become famed for their build-up play, and a combination of Martinelli being doubled up on and also shooting straight at the goalkeeper too many times has also contributed to his modest numbers.
The 23-year-old’s killer finish at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid proved that his composure has not completely evaded him, though, and there should be no doubting his place at Arsenal for the next couple of years.
However, the Gunners could be forgiven for just activating his extension until 2028 rather than offering him an improved deal, as if Nico Williams comes in and makes an impact right away, Martinelli may have to think twice about his future if he starts playing second fiddle.
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