'Arsenal fans may differ': TalkSPORT pundit says he'd actually start £60m Arteta target over Gabriel Martinelli

One TalkSPORT pundit has just made a claim that could irk a few Arsenal fans.

The Gunners are still on the market despite already turning David Raya’s loan into a permanent deal and signing Riccardo Calafiori. Mikel Merino is expected to be Arsenal’s next signing, but there will likely be one more after the Spaniard.

Arsenal have solved their issues in defence and midfield. The next area of focus is their attack, and Mikel Arteta would love to sign a new forward.

The Premier League runners-up are said to be keen to sign either an out-and-out striker or a versatile attacker who can play out wide.

TalkSPORT’s Darren Ambrose appears to be a big fan of one of Arsenal’s targets.

Darren Ambrose says he’d start Eberechi Eze over Gabriel Martinelli at Arsenal

Eberechi Eze is a wanted man this summer.

The Crystal Palace attacker had a very impressive 2023/24 season. He scored 11 goals and provided six assists in all competitions and deservedly got a place in the England Euro 2024 squad.

Eze has earned a lot of admirers over the last 12 months, and there is a chance he could be on the move before the window shuts at the end of August.

Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Eze, and he would be a very interesting option for Arteta thanks to his versatility.

The Crystal Palace star, who has a £60million release clause (Daily Mail), can play on either wing, as an attacking midfielder and even as a number eight if required. That would give the Arsenal boss a number of options if he does sign him.

Ambrose was asked about Eze, and he admitted that it would be difficult for the Englishman to get into the Arsenal attack because Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka are all established starters.

However, the pundit then claimed that he would actually start Eze ahead of Martinelli if it was up to him.

Speaking on talkSPORT (August 3 2024 3:25 pm), Ambrose said: “Arsenal would be difficult, I think, with Martinelli and Saka and Odegaard. I think that would be difficult.

“If we are looking at Eze playing in one of those forward three, I think Arsenal fans may differ (about Eze starting ahead of Martinelli) in that option. They have got this love-in with Martinelli and rightly so.

“For me, yes, I would have him over Martinelli, not sure Arsenal supporters would.”

Many people have forgotten how good Martinelli is

Martinelli had a difficult 2023/24 season.

The Brazil international managed just eight goals in all competitions for the Gunners. That has led to many people urging Arsenal to sign a new left-winger.

However, Martinelli is a gem of a player when he is fully fit. He proved that by scoring 15 goals in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season, and he is more than capable of replicating that again.

The 23-year-old looked really sharp in Arsenal’s pre-season and even scored a wonderful goal against Manchester United in Los Angeles.

With Arsenal strengthening their left side with Calafiori and Merino, we think Martinelli will explode in the upcoming season. That will make many of his critics eat their words.