Why Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli might be well advised to accept Galatasaray's offer

[p]Having recently completed a deal for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukaku-romelu/dCkG0Iw0/"]Romelu Lukaku[/a], the Belgian adds to a squad that will also have [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/greenwood-mason/hxe108Jl/"]Mason Greenwood[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ake-nathan/6LBvaQoh/"]Nathan Ake[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muriqi-vedat/CjwNDgqi/"]Vedat Muriqi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cherif-sidiki/tSVHHLjn/"]Sidiki Cherif[/a] in it; all players who have swapped one of Europe's top five leagues for a stint in Turkey.[/p][h2]Salah leads the influx to the Super Lig[/h2][p]They're not alone, of course, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/besiktas/IDmErJCR/"]Besiktas[/a] taking [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trossard-leandro/xUAbnjp2/"]Leandro Trossard[/a] from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vlahovic-dusan/Ct0rhfn7/"]Dusan Vlahovic[/a] from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juventus[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nubel-alexander/Igk6vzlT/"]Alexander Nubel[/a] from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ouattara-kassoum/x0We5RpI/"]Kassoum Outtara[/a] from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/monaco/2PIvr8o4/"]Monaco[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/trabzonspor/MmsYDc03/"]Trabzonspor[/a], perhaps surprisingly, landed the pick of the bunch in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mo Salah[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/galatasaray/riaqqurF/"]Galatasaray[/a] are now believed to have placed a bid in the region of €45m/£38.4m for Arsenal wide man [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinelli/dITe5M88/"]Gabriel Martinelli[/a].[/p][embed guid="b6c460a7-fef6-4390-b690-9d49cf55fc91" url="https://x.com/Plettigoal/status/2087568557781520778?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Like Trossard, the Brazilian wasn't necessarily able to make the left-wing slot his own under [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arteta-mikel/lAbHYaQM/"]Mikel Arteta[/a], who routinely rotated the pair over the last couple of seasons.[/p][p]Now seemingly surplus to requirements, Martinelli has a decision to make and, unlike many of his contemporaries, he's still only 25 years of age and has much to offer clubs in the top European leagues, with respect to the Super Lig.[/p][h2]Martinelli will find it difficult to reverse Arteta's decision[/h2][p]With a lack of other offers forthcoming, however, beggars can't be choosers, and were the winger not to accede to any attempt to get him to move on by Arteta, even if the Spaniard isn't actively looking to sell him, Martinelli could face a difficult few months until the January transfer window opens for business.[/p][p]Though a player refusing to leave a club in preference to fight for his place isn't new, and is actually quite laudable, the plain fact is that when a club briefs that a player could be available, it is invariably the end of the road for them at their current employer.[/p][embed guid="02091a69-2bae-4706-8efc-e226012a6be2" url="https://x.com/gabimartinelli/status/2061432362873794896" social-type="twitter" /][p]Professional pride often dictates that the player won't go without a fight either, but only in the most exceptional of cases - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maguire-harry/xG8v3YRA/"]Harry Maguire[/a] at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a] being one such example - do players manage to earn their place in the starting XI again and get clubs to rethink their strategy.[/p][p]Across 2025/26, Martinelli made 53 appearances for the North Londoners in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists.[/p][h2]Brilliant goals and assists output despite lack of minutes[/h2][p]That output was the same as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a], who played almost 1,000 minutes more, with only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gyokeres-viktor/zaBZ1xIk/"]Viktor Gyokeres[/a] beating that total.[/p][p]Indeed, of those Arsenal players who made 50 or more appearances in 25/26, Martinelli started significantly less (25) than all of his colleagues.[/p][image alt="Martinelli career stats" id="02f4b323-f65d-4907-8d87-ce2330e9a1ab" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="6620cb70-4ded-4632-98c2-671235344d4d" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]His 11 fast breaks were the second-best return in the entire Gunners' squad, Saka being the one other Arsenal player to at least get to double figures in this regard.[/p][p]In both his shooting accuracy (54%) and conversion rate (16.67%), Martinelli can again be satisfied that he was near the top of another metric.[/p][p]Even his 27 shots on target were the third most of any Arsenal player.[/p][h2]Weaknesses[/h2][p]It's perhaps his associative play that really let him down, because his pass completion of 78.96% was one of the worst in the squad.[/p][p]In a team that thrives on short, sharp progressive passing, the inability to find a teammate was never going to curry favour with Arteta.[/p][image alt="Gabriel Martinelli's radar graphic - Premier League 2025/26" id="888818b0-5936-4ef7-84ac-fff79b4dfb74" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="df947d91-5073-4249-9c76-31238ab7a121" original-width="768" original-height="576" /][p]Winning just 40.81% of his ground one-on-one duels placed him almost at the bottom of the pile, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gabriel-jesus/viMb6g9n/"]Gabriel Jesus[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nwaneri-ethan/lxyovn2o/"]Ethan Nwaneri[/a], both players who didn't get much of a chance to impress, being the only players with a worse output.[/p][p]Just 18 tackles attempted also tells its own story, and it's potentially this aspect of his game that might be putting off other prospective new employers, edging him closer to the Super Lig.[/p][h2]Lack of transfer options[/h2][p]In fairness to Martinelli, he will likely point to 48 successful take-ons, 106 progressive carries (10+) - denoted by a player moving the ball at least 10 yards nearer to the opponent's goal - and the winning back of possession on 103 separate occasions, as being more than enough evidence that he still has much to offer the game.[/p][p]That lack of feasible transfer options does really restrict what happens next, and with the new season just over a week away - or only a few days if you count the Community Shield - the player has an urgent decision to make.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]