It’s been a tough campaign to take for Arsenal fans this year.
Instead of going on to lift the Premier League title for the third time of asking, Mikel Arteta’s side are set to finish in a distant second place while also failing to pick up any silverware in the cup competitions.
Now, injuries have undoubtedly played a part in the North Londoners’ lacklustre season, but it has to be said that much of the Gunners’ attack has seriously underwhelmed, including Gabriel Martinelli.
Unfortunately for the Brazilian, the board might be running out of patience with him, as recent reports have linked the club with someone who’d be a massive upgrade.
Arsenal's winger search
Before getting to the superstar in question, it’s worth going over some of the other wide players who have been touted for moves to Arsenal in recent weeks, like Daizen Maeda and Leroy Sané.
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The former could be a real bargain this summer, as in 50 appearances for Celtic this year, he has scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists, and could be available for just £25m.
On the other hand, Sane wouldn’t cost a penny, as his contract expires at the end of the season, and with a pretty impressive haul of 13 goals and six assists in 45 games for Bayern Munich, he’d certainly improve the North Londoners’ attack.
However, to ensure they get a significant upgrade on Martinelli this summer, Arteta and Co might want to sign a genuine superstar near the top of his game, someone like Rodrygo.
According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are incredibly interested in signing the Real Madrid winger.
More good news: The report claims that an exit for the Brazilian is a very real possibility and that, as things stand, the Gunners are leading the race for his signature.
The story does not mention a potential price, but reports from earlier this week claimed that an offer of around £85m could be enough to get the deal done.
While that is a lot of money, it’s a transfer Arsenal should be looking to complete, especially as he’d be a massive upgrade on Martinelli.
How Rodrygo compares to Martinelli
So, while Rodrygo has spent much of his time at Real off the right, he is a natural left-winger, and as Bukayo Saka has the right nailed down, it’s almost certain that the Brazilan would play on the opposite flank were he to make a move to the Emirates.
Therefore, one of his primary competitors for game time next season and beyond would be Martinelli, so how do the pair compare to one another?
Well, when it comes to their raw output, it is the two-time Champions League winner who comes out ahead, as in 50 appearances, totalling 3290 minutes, he has scored 13 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.17 games, or every 143.04 minutes.
In contrast, the Gunners’ number 11 has scored ten goals and provided six assists in as many games, totalling 3493 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.12 games or every 218.31 minutes.
Unfortunately, the one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.
Non-Penalty G+As
0.51
0.49
Progressive Passes
5.05
1.98
Progressive Passes Received
11.8
11.4
Progressive Carries
5.28
4.86
Shots
2.52
2.07
Shots on Target
0.93
0.89
Passing Accuracy
85.9%
71.2%
Key Passes
2.29
1.50
Expected Assists
0.20
0.18
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.21
1.38
Passes into the Final Third
3.08
0.45
Shot-Creating Actions
4.95
2.71
Goal-Creating Actions
0.42
0.24
Successful Take-Ons
2.29
1.30
Ball Recoveries
3.32
3.08
Aerial Duels Won
0.33
0.65
Here, the “terrifyingly good” Real ace, as dubbed by journalist Sam Tighe, comes out ahead in almost all relevant metrics, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy, shots and shots on target, shot and goal-creating actions, key passes, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, Rodrygo is a far superior winger to Martinelli in practically every measurable way, so while the latter could still be a valuable squad player next season, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign the former this summer.
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