There are only four games left of the Premier League season for Arsenal, and while the team and fans will be focusing on the Champions League, the club will be preparing for the summer.
In fact, it was only this month that Mikel Arteta told the media that the upcoming transfer window is set to be seismic, which is undoubtedly needed considering how poorly things have gone on the domestic front.
For example, on top of silly suspensions and some truly unlucky injuries, too many players have underwhelmed this season, such as Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian might have stepped it up a bit in recent weeks, but it could be too little too late, as recent reports have linked the club to a superstar who could be the perfect upgrade.
Arsenal transfer news
With it looking set to be a mega summer for Arsenal, it’s worth going over some of the other stars who have been touted for moves to the club in recent weeks, such as Rafael Leao.
The AC Milan monster will supposedly be available for around £86m, which is probably a fair enough fee, as in 46 games this season, he’s scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists.
Another target who’d cost at least as much is Desire Doue.
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The Paris Saint-Germain gem has been linked with several Premier League sides, including the Gunners, and it’s not hard to see why, as at just 19 years old, he has produced 25 goal involvements in 46 games this year.
However, in this instance, the player in question is someone the Gunners have already faced off against this season: Rodrygo.
According to reports from Spain, Arsenal ‘have set their sights’ on a few Real Madrid stars, including the Brazilian international.
Now, the report does say it would be a difficult deal to get done, but not impossible, although per reports from late last year, Los Blancos might demand up to £123m for their star.
It would be an incredibly costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given his incredible ability, it is one worth fighting for, especially as he could be a dream Martinelli upgrade.
How Rodrygo compares to Martinelli
So, the first thing to say is that while Rodrygo has made more appearances off the right in his career, he’s no stranger to playing off the left, and with Bukayo Saka in the squad, he’d almost certainly be tasked with playing there.
Therefore, his biggest competitor for game time would be Martinelli, but how do the pair stack up against one another?
Well, in terms of raw output, it’s a comfortable win for the Real star, who Carlo Ancelotti described as one of “the best players in the world” just last year.
For example, he’s racked up 13 goals and ten assists in 49 appearances, totalling 3245 minutes this season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.13 games, or every 141.08 minutes.
In contrast, the Gunners’ number 11 has scored nine goals and provided six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3068 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every three games or every 204.53 minutes.
Non-Penalty G+As
0.61
0.41
Progressive Passes
4.68
1.94
Progressive Carries
5.06
4.77
Shots
2.67
2.03
Shots on Target
1.03
0.88
Passing Accuracy
85.7%
71.5%
Key Passes
2.08
1.64
Shot-Creating Actions
4.56
2.87
Goal-Creating Actions
0.42
0.26
Tackles Won
0.84
0.56
Successful Take-Ons
2.15
1.51
Then, when we take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers, it’s another comfortable victory for the Los Blancos star.
For example, he comes out ahead in most relevant metrics, including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy and key passes, shot and goal-creating actions, shots and shots on target, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, while he would cost Arsenal a fortune, it’s clear that Rodrygo would be a massive upgrade on Martinelli, and therefore they should go all out to sign him.
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1 ByJack Salveson HolmesApr 25, 2025