Arsenal may have to sell one of their top stars to improve their squad, and pundit Adrien Clarke has made a suggestion.
The Gunners broke their transfer record to sign Declan Rice last season, but they could only secure David Raya on an initial loan deal, indicating that they may not have significant funds available.
While it remains unclear how much they can spend in the summer, one area they need to address is their right-wing position.
Bukayo Saka is the only strong option they have in that position, and they must be willing to spend to sign a quality backup for the Englishman. Reports have linked them with a move for Pedro Neto, among others.
To raise enough funds to address all their personnel problems, Arsenal may need to sell players, and Clarke suggests that Martinelli could be one of them.
He said on the Handbrake Off Podcast: “I’m going to throw a bomb in there. We don’t have the backup on the right for Saka, so do you sell big? Do you sell Jesus or Martinelli for a massive fee to buy someone who can compete with Saka or be a good stand-in on the other side. It’s an option.
“I’m not saying I want it to happen, but sometimes you have to sell someone really good to regenerate the team, it wouldn’t shock me. I don’t want Martinelli to go, but off the back of the season he’s had, it wouldn’t be the shock of the century for me.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Martinelli has been one of our most important players, but even he would understand if we decided to sell him because the team will always evolve, and anyone could pay the price.
ADMIN COMMENT
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So we could sell Martinelli to buy a backup for Saka. What a very stupid idea. Even selling Jesus just to get a backup for Saka is atrocious. Jesus may not score goals but he’s a good backup on the wings. Nelson and Vieira can go instead
Get rid of Jesus and Zinchenco
If we need big money sell Saka
You can’t be serious!
I despair, I really do!!
To think I wasted precious seconds of my dwindling life reading this BS scares the life out of me!!
And then worse Ken, you wasted more by commenting lol.
You won’t be listening to Adrian Clarke much then? (He was the one that brought it up)
I know Pat and that frightens me the most!!
I do hope Adrian can find some newsworthy information in the future – like selling Saka in order to give Partey a new contract!!
It’s your bl**dy headlines that pulls me in!!
LOL Ken, I’m not sure if I should apologise or not!
click-bait Ken
here’s one for you “Partey over-rated, never ever in world class conversation”
light the fuse…
Damp squid, as I believe what MA and DR said ☑️ and he WILL be here come next season…. in my humble opinion 😔
These blooming emojis are becoming very popular with me, but then, of course, I’m a modern, forward thinking old fa*t💭
Clarke is such an idiot, it pains me to point out the obvious. First, isn’t Jesus already doing that on the RW?
If they sell Martinelli to strengthen the RW and complete with Saka,
who then would compete with Trossard on the LW?
Selling Nelson and Jesus would bring in enough funds if that is what Arteta was thinking.
Very stupid idea
If I had to sell somebody, it would be Adrian Clarke!!!
One of the big changes in the Prem next season , will be pace in both the midfield and up front.
For example. If Chelsea could only get their act together they could be very dangerous next season with their very quick forward players.
Although we look quick on the break, we are not as quick as some of the other teams in the league. When it comes to playing in Europe, we look relatively pedestrian.
Hence the need for a very fast forward, preferably up the middle.
Our DM choice needs to be quick, quicker than both Rice and Partey.
In addition we need at least one very fast fullback.
However, our most vital need is cover for Odegaard!!
So, to pay for a really top class play maker to back up Odegaard, a really quick full-back, a mobile top class DM and finally a top class, very quick, forward,
I think we would need to sell
ESR, Eddie N, Nelson, Ramsdale, Soares, Elneny, Jesus, (sadly Kiwior), Viera.
That would be 9 players out
Replaced by 4 top class additions. We would also have room to blood some of our promising youngsters.
There is a rumor that the goalkeeper of the Colorado Rapids (Kroenke’s MLS team) will be coming to Arsenal this year
Adrian Clarke is absolutely right to put it out there
Martinelli and Jesus have offered basically nothing in the PL this season
for Martinelli, still a very young player, it feels like blip, hopefully he can rediscover his form
that said, all players under Arteta/Edu are expected to develop and adapt their game, Martinelli hasn’t, there is still time but also the spectre of Tierney who could not
Jesus can still offer something as a squad player, however he is clearly not 1st XI anymore, so to raise the question is right as the player may not wish to be a bench sitting squad player (and that is what he is, injury cover and/or late game sub)
both are worth good money now, likely only to diminish in the future unless a miraculous turn around in form
so the question is rightly asked if we should sell when the price is high for maximum reinvestment value, or go down the Tierney route…
not what we may want personally, but to pose the question is not sacrilege
Anyone can come up with a “suggestion”. However, as others have out it really needs to be reasonable. How does it make sense to sell one of our best young players in one position to buy a backup for a different position?
ask yourself?
what?
oh here we go again…ho hum
And what are you saying now?….sigh
Perhaps this article would have been more palatable if it had been written to ridicule Adrien Clarke’s statement, rather than supporting it.