Paul Merson believes 20-year-old Gunners talent ‘might save Arsenal £70million’

Tue 8 February 2022 18:15, UK

Arsenal icon Paul Merson has reiterated his desire to see Mikel Arteta convert Gabriel Martinelli into a centre-forward.

The Highbury legend feels Arteta “might save Arsenal £70 million” if he manages to pull it off.

The Gunners parted company with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang late on in the January transfer window.

Arsenal also failed to bring in a replacement, Dusan Vlahovic snubbing the Gunners and joining Juventus.

Now they have just Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah at centre-forward.

And both of them are out of contract at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Martinelli has largely plied his trade on the left wing during his time at Arsenal.

However, Arteta has used the 20-year-old up front on a before.

And during Arsenal’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai, Martinelli to be alternating in the positions he played across the forward line.

Merson, previewing the Gunners’ Premier League trip to Wolves on , spoke about the Brazilian talent.

“If I were Arteta, I’d start playing Martinelli up front,” he said.

“Arsenal could spend a lot of money on a striker, but the player they’re looking for might already be at the club.

“Martinelli is lively and quick – he has what it takes.

“He should get a run till the end of the season, and might save Arsenal £70million.”

Maybe that is indeed Arteta’s plan – TBR View

In terms of strikers, Arsenal really appear to be in dire straits right now.

The Gunners have just Lacazette and Nketiah in their ranks until the end of the season.

But if Arteta’s plan all along was to turn Martinelli into a centre-forward, then it makes a little more sense.

The 20-year-old is an exciting player who’s proven he’s got what it takes at the top level.

We’ll see what the next couple of months bring, but the signs are there that Martinelli could feature more prominently up front.

Arsene Wenger famously turned Thierry Henry from a winger to a striker – a world-class one at that.