Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could be set to turn to an in-house source when it comes to the poisoned chalice that is the number 9 role at the Emirates this season after keen eyes spotted certain changes on the training ground.
The Gunners have recently enjoyed a warm-weather camp in Dubai during the current international break where it has been noted that Brazilian starlet Gabriel Martinelli at times was operating in a center-forward role according to Football.London’s Kaya Kaynak.
Interesting to see some of the positions Gabriel Martinelli was taking up during #AFC‘s Dubai training camp. With CF options so thin on the ground at the Emirates using the ?? as a no. 9 is something Mikel Arteta could visit in the 2nd half of the season.https://t.co/YOOub9TBST
— Kaya Kaynak (@kayakaynak97) February 3, 2022
Martinelli has featured in the middle of the Arsenal front four before under Mikel Arteta though only in fleeting appearances but could be set for an expanded period in that role given the reality of the squad situation in north London.
Arsenal could be set to focus solely on the kids
For base value, there certainly is merit to potentially adapting Martinelli to the center-forward role for the remainder of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign after Arsenal failed to secure a number 9 via the January transfer period.
Interest in both Dušan Vlahović and Alexander Isak failed to materialize as the Serbian hitman trodded the same path as many before him from Firenze to Turin when he agreed to a deal with Serie A giants Juventus. As for Isak, though the Gunners lodged an official bid with the Basque outfit, they refuse to meet the value of the player’s release clause.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang now at Barcelona after closing the Arsenal chapter in his credible career and Folarin Balogun shifted out on loan to Championship outfit Middlesbrough, Arsenal has just Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as their only center-forward options, with both players set to leave the club in the summer after their deals expire.
NORWICH, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 26: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal scores their team’s fourth goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Norwich City and Arsenal at Carrow Road on December 26, 2021 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)
OL is fully expected to make a serious push to bring Lacazette back to his former stomping grounds in the summer while Newcastle and Crystal Palace remain interested in Nketiah.
Though the Gunners are sure to make a renewed push for one if not two center forwards in the summer, Martinelli could offer a very credible option on a temporary basis, which would allow for Mikel Arteta to utilize all four of his highly-valued young attacking options in the same matchday XI.
