Arsenal fans are now starting to convince themselves that £6m player could win the Ballon d’Or one day

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Ousmane Dembele winning the Ballon d’Or has inspired Arsenal fans to get excited about one player’s future.

Only two Arsenal men’s players made the top 30 of the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, as Declan Rice placed 27th and Viktor Gyokeres 15th.

Arsenal Women had two players in the top three, with Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo finishing behind Aitana Bonmati.

No player on Arsenal’s books, man or woman, has ever won the Ballon d’Or, but some fans seem to think this could change in the near future.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang thinks Bukayo Saka could win the Ballon d’Or; however, it’s Mikel Arteta’s other winger who is generating attention right now.

• READ MORE: Spain’s media take aim at Viktor Gyokeres for ‘inexplicable’ moment at Ballon d’Or ceremony

Arsenal fans think Gabriel Martinelli could win the Ballon d’Or

It’s been quite the start to the season for Gabriel Martinelli.

Just five games into the campaign, the Brazilian has experienced the good, the bad and the ugly.

Arsenal didn’t cash in on Martinelli in the summer in the hope that the winger would rediscover his past form, and the trust the club showed is paying off. 

Many had written Martinelli off at the age of 24 due to halted progression, but having seen 28-year-old Dembele win the Ballon d’Or, fans really think the best is yet to come for the Arsenal winger.

Reacting to Dembele turning his career around to win the Ballon d’Or, one Arsenal fan said, “Just googled Martinelli’s age.” 

Another anticipated that the Brazil international could follow in Dembele’s footsteps and explode.

“I genuinely could see him having an output explosion, he has the tools! Maybe he’ll get a 15npg season where he doesn’t massively overperform xG.” 

“A coach that utilises his goal threat will turn around his career so easily,” another Arsenal fan insisted. 

The discourse was around whether Mikel Arteta needs to see Martinelli as a striker rather than a winger, just as Luis Enrique did to Dembele at PSG. 

“Arteta, are you seeing what I am seeing? Dembele moved from the wings to a striker and won the Ballon D’or. Move Gabriel Martinelli from the wings to a striker.”

“Nelli9 at this club or the next,” a supporter said in response to a question that asked which player could be the next Dembele. 

Another added, “Enter Gabriel Martinelli.”

Having seen what Dembele has done over the past year at PSG, Arsenal fans are keeping the faith in Martinelli.

“If you’re in line for a Martinelli Ballon d’Or stay in line,” a fan said. 

Another said that Martinelli should be inspired by the magnitude of Dembele’s resurgence.

“Dembele’s trajectory, to reach this level at 28 after dropping off from an initial wonderkid emergence should be an inspiration for players like Martinelli. Careers are not always linear.”

Parallels between Ousmane Dembele and Martinelli’s struggles

Given that Martinelli has been very poor over the past few years, some would see the opinions of Arsenal fans as trivial, but Dembele’s Ballon d’Or win has ousted the denial of footballing fairytales. 

In the 2023/24 season, the Frenchman scored just three Ligue 1 goals for PSG, coming off the back of being discarded by Barcelona. 

It was a period of absolute struggle for Dembele, who went from being a wonderkid with the world at his feet to a player considered to be wasted potential.

It’s all on the forward himself for turning things around so incredibly, and one fan was right to signal that players who have been in his situation should be inspired.

Martinelli has been poor, but there’s a player there ready to explode in the right conditions, with Dembele the blueprint of what can come from the consistent trust of a manager.