Arsenal is said to have declined two separate offers from Barcelona during the summer for Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, as Hansi Flick aimed to find a new left winger for the Catalan team.
Barcelona was closely associated with Spain’s Euro 2024 standout Nico Williams throughout the summer after his impressive performance alongside Lamine Yamal.
After much speculation, Williams ultimately chose to reject the European giants and extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao until 2027.
Flick continued to seek a new left-sided player, and as reported by Football365, Martinelli was considered the ‘main Plan B’ on the German’s list. The report indicates that Martinelli has been on Barcelona’s radar for a considerable time, but due to the financial struggles faced by the La Liga club, they proposed two players in exchange for the 23-year-old.
The first player mentioned by Barcelona was Ferran Torres, who moved from Manchester City to Barcelona for £45m in January 2022. Torres was reportedly interested in the opportunity to work with Mikel Arteta, but when he was offered to Arsenal during the summer transfer window, the move was deemed ‘completely ruled out.’
Barcelona then presented a more appealing option to Arsenal in the form of former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, as Arteta sought additional defensive choices.
The Danish international’s Premier League experience and versatility are seen as valuable to Arteta, and the London club is expected to continue its interest in the defender, whose contract runs until 2026.
Despite his inconsistent form recently, Martinelli is regarded as untouchable by the Arsenal management, although the Brazil international faces competition from Leandro Trossard for his spot in the lineup.