Arsenal fans believe Andrea Berta might’ve made one mistake during the summer transfer window.
It’s difficult to reflect on Arsenal’s work in the summer transfer window and find fault.
With regard to incomings, Berta had great success in his first window as Arsenal’s new sporting director.
The Gunners welcomed eight new players for a price of £257m, which, when looking at the talent that’s been added to the Arsenal squad, is a real cause for celebration.
There is a problem, however, as Berta was not able to sell as many players as he might’ve hoped, with five of Arsenal’s seven deals on deadline day being loan transfers.
It’s not just the lack of permanent sales that Arsenal fans have become frustrated at, as, after deadline day, it was revealed that Gabriel Martinelli could’ve left.
Arsenal fans can’t believe Gabriel Martinelli wasn’t sold
Arsenal did consider selling Martinelli early into the summer transfer window, but didn’t due to a reason that fans can’t get their heads around.
The reason why a deal could not be struck to offload the struggling winger was that there was a gap between Arsenal’s valuation and the price that interested clubs were quoting.
Interest in Martinelli didn’t exceed the £40m mark, with Arsenal wanting a figure closer to £60m, which ultimately prevented the club from cashing in.
After the news broke, it was fair to say, fans were not impressed.
“How could we possibly value him at more than £60M? That’s just ridiculous,” a supporter said on X.
“Big mistake,” another replied.
Martinelli has been so frustrating to watch early in the season, with Arsenal fans already fearing how much the Brazilian’s price tag could plummet.
One supporter said, “It’ll be way below the £40m mark come next summer,” while another agreed, saying, “He’s going to be valued a lot less than that soon.”
What’s concerning is that Martinelli’s market value has already plummeted, and that was before additional competition arrived.
The signing of Eberechi Eze has led some fans to believe that the chance to earn a sizeable profit on Martinelli has passed.
“That was our chance! 40m.. we have Eze now.”
“By the end of the season, it’s highly possible that no club will pay £40M for him. Not a great decision by the club.”
“We should’ve just taken it, we won’t get more than 30 next season.”
Though £40m was deemed too low by Arsenal, fans think that price would’ve been positive, given how little the Gunners paid for the winger in 2019.
“Would have still profit from the low fee we bought him for. If he continues to play that way we might only let him go as a free agent.”
“Sorry to say this, but we should have taken the 40… a good 35m profit.”
Arsenal signed Martinelli for a fee in the region of £6m, transforming the former Ituano ace from a prospect to a Premier League starter.
Martinelli might regret not leaving Arsenal
In the 2022/23 season, Martinelli was flying, and Arsenal were reaping the benefits of taking a chance on the forward.
Now, things have taken a real turn for the winger, whose progression has been stagnant ever since that season.
Arteta has already had Martinelli as an unused substitute this season, and with competition growing, the Brazilian’s gametime could decrease even further.
This isn’t only a concern for Arsenal’s finances, but for the player too, as the 2026 World Cup is in sight, with the task of impressing Carlo Ancelotti while fighting for domestic minutes a real battle.
Arsenal might live to regret not taking the £40m they could’ve received for Martinelli, who has a real job on his hands to turn things around in N5.
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