Arsenal and Gabriel Martinelli: Why not?

Arsenal will sign 17-year-old Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli. The move is reported to be in the region of £6 million. For that kind of price, there is only one question to ask: why not?

It seems as though Arsenal are ready to make their first signing of the summer. According to a wide range of reports, including this highly insightful piece from Football.London, the Gunners will announce the signing of young Brazilian starlet Gabriel Martinelli when he turns 18 later this month.

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Martinelli is a highly touted wide attacker who has reportedly attracted interest from around the world. But with Edu leading the charge, the Brazilian director expected to take the vacant technical director role at London Colney after the Copa America in July, it seems as though Arsenal have won the race.

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Now, I have no idea if Martinelli is any good. I have never seen him kick a ball and I could not tell you anything about him other than what a quick Google search could tell you. For that reason, I will not even attempt to bluff my way through an ‘analytical’ piece regarding his style of play, his strengths and his weaknesses, how he might fit into the team when he arrives, as some others might. But what I do want to comment on is the process of thought that the club is undertaking here, and why it is a smart one.

The Martinelli move is extremely similar to the Matteo Guendouzi signing from a year ago. Guendouzi was an unknown midfielder from the French second division. Other than his crazy hair, there was nothing that made him stand out. But for £7 million, Arsenal took the risk, brought him in and hoped that they had signed a talented player. It quickly transpired that they had.

Martinelli is a very comparable case. Clearly talented, otherwise clubs would not be chasing, but still cheap, at a rumoured £6 million fee, the club is signing him on the cheap in the hope that he turns into something special. If he does, great. He becomes an absolute bargain. If he doesn’t, no biggie, not many resources have been invested in the first place.

This kind of move is how excellent squads can be assembled on the cheap, as head of football Raul Sanllehi hinted at in his ‘outsmart the market’ comments in May. In fact, what Arsenal must do is now make a series of signings like this one, like the Guendouzi one. There is more chance of Martinelli flaming out than ever realising his potential. But if you have four or five on the books, your chances of finding one or two special players improve significantly.

So, when it comes to assessing why this signing is being made, the real question to ask is actually the exact opposite. Why not? Why not sign a talented, potentially elite player for a pittance, knowing that if it fails miserably you haven’t really lost much in the first place?

This is a low risk, high reward deal, and is precisely the type of move that Arsenal should be making each and every year.