Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli facing uncertain transfer situation

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli could be facing an uncertain future after some Saudi transfer interest in him during the summer just gone.

In the end Martinelli ended up staying at the Emirates Stadium, but he may be running out of time to turn his Gunners career around, according to Charles Watts.

Writing in his latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Watts explained that Martinelli could be one to watch next summer if his form hasn’t improved by then.

There was some Saudi interest in Martinelli in the most recent transfer window, but never anything that advanced, according to Watts.

The Brazilian winger’s place in the team is now increasingly under threat after the arrival of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

Charles Watts on Gabriel Martinelli’s Arsenal future

Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Discussing the Martinelli situation, Watts said: “There’s obviously been a lot of talk about Gabriel Martinelli of late, given his quiet start to the season and the arrival of Eberechi Eze.

“There is serious competition over on the left hand side now and Martinelli’s struggles for consistency over the last couple of seasons has seen a big drop off in terms of his level of contributions.”

He added: “A lot of fans believe an upgrade is needed on the left of the attack and although Eze is a different profile of player to Martinelli, that left sided position certainly looks his best route into the XI.

“This is a big season for Martinelli, one that does feel pivotal in terms of where his future might lie.

“There was talk about him leaving in the summer, but I don’t think that was ever really going to happen. It would have taken a big offer for Arsenal to consider a sale and one never arrived.