Gabriel Martinelli has revealed what he really thinks of Arsenal signing Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke

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Gabriel Martinelli faces significant competition for minutes at Arsenal now after the arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

The Brazilian has struggled in the last few seasons, finding it difficult to recreate his exceptional form from the 2022/23 campaign.

As a result of this poor form, and Leandro Trossard entering the latter stages of his career, the Gunners looked to strengthen in the wide areas over the summer.

Eberechi Eze was signed for £67.5 million from Crystal Palace, while Arsenal also signed Noni Madueke from Chelsea for £52 million, to bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Gabriel Martinelli reveals what he thinks of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke

Martinelli appears to be suffering from a crisis in confidence at the moment.

What made the winger so exciting when he burst through into Arsenal’s first team was that everything was done on instinct, and that he was carefree and exuberant in all his actions.

Now, he is struggling to rediscover this youthful approach, with the pressure of the criticism seemingly getting to him.

Every small detail of his performances will be forensically analysed, and there’ll be less room for error now that he has serious competition on the left wing.

Asked how he feels about the signings of Eze and Madueke while on international duty with Brazil, Martinelli produced a somewhat formulaic response, claiming he’s happy with the arrivals as they make Arsenal stronger.

“With Arsenal, it’s the same as with the national team,” he said.

“If you ask me, ‘is it good to have Vini [Junior] in the national team? Is it good to have Rodrygo?’ Of course it is, because they help the team win trophies. If we want to win, we need quality players.

“It’s the same at Arsenal. I’m really happy with [Eberechi] Eze and [Noni] Madueke coming in, and we also have [Leandro] Trossard who plays on the left. We’re always happy when we’ve got quality players around us.

“It’s a long season, injuries can happen. So we’re glad the club is going after the best players in the league to help us compete for titles.”

Gabriel Martinelli will still play a role for Arsenal this season

Martinelli was poor against Liverpool in the match before the international break.

The 24-year-old was selected because of his defensive work rate, and while he still performed in this specific aspect of the game, he struggled in all other areas.

Many felt this was a turning point, with Eze and Madueke ending the game in the front three alongside Viktor Gyokeres.

However, Martinelli still has a role to play, and he’ll still get plenty of minutes. There isn’t another winger in Arteta’s squad who is as effective at pressing and at protecting his full-back, and this skill will be valuable in certain matches against good teams.

Moreover, the former Ituano man’s offensive game will improve as the season progresses, and he rediscovers some confidence.

He’ll be useful stretching tiring defences late in games and will still allow the likes of Eze and Madueke to rest from time to time in European and cup matches.