Why Arsenal have nothing to fear over Barcelona's Martinelli interest

Karan Tejwani

• 7 Dec 2022 13:55 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona have reportedly sent scouts to Qatar to watch Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli in the hope of bringing him to the Camp Nou if he doesn’t renew his deal.

The Arsenal forward has done well this season for the Gunners spurring them to the top of the table and has performed for Brazil in cameos at the World Cup.

Barcelona have reportedly sent a scout to keep an eye on him, continuing their year-long monitoring of the winger and may make a move for him in the future.

READ: How Martinelli was defined by Man Utd and Barcelona rejections

However, that deal may be difficult for Barcelona to complete, especially if Martinelli does end up agreeing to a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal keen to keep hold of Martinelli

Martinelli only has 12 months left on his deal once the current season is complete in North London and he fits the mould of a forward Xavi wants in his side: he’s direct and athletic, making him the ideal fit.

Barcelona have developed a very good relationship with Martinelli’s camp and the player himself is aware of the interest in him from the Blaugrana.

READ: Revealed: How re-signing Martinelli makes Mudryk's Arsenal transfer MORE likely

The deal may be difficult to complete as there is a broad agreement between Arsenal and Martinelli to get a new contract signed in the near future and get him to stay at the Emirates for long.

It’s believed that Martinelli will agree to a new four-year deal to keep him at the Emirates and the player is happy with the way his life is going in London.

Additionally, judging by Barcelona’s financial situation, a deal for Martinelli would’ve been complicated anyways as they can’t afford to fork out big sums on players.

Barcelona already have plenty of options in the wide areas including the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Ansu Fati, Raphinha and Ferran Torres, so a new winger would not have been an immediate priority.