Sidelined Jesus Backs Martinelli as Arsenal's Standout Talent

Gabriel Jesus has identified Gabriel Martinelli as the standout performer at Arsenal—a curious choice, perhaps, given his own struggles for minutes at the Emirates.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has found himself conspicuously absent from recent action, left out of the latest Brazil squad for international friendlies and not called up by his country since November 2023. Exit rumours have swirled around the striker, with speculation mounting over a potential return to Palmeiras, his former club in Brazil.

Jesus remains firmly attached to his homeland. "I manage to follow Palmeiras a lot. That bond between me and Palmeiras was never broken," he explained to Globo Esporte. "Whenever I'm in Brazil, I go there, especially when I've had injuries and treated them there. Obviously, I have the dream of returning one day to play, not to end my career. I think about going back every day – my wife can back that up."

When asked during the international break to identify Arsenal's best player, Jesus bypassed the obvious candidates—Declan Rice, David Raya, Bukayo Saka, and the club's seemingly endless parade of centre-backs—before settling on fellow Brazilian Martinelli.

"There are a few, but I think I'll go with Martinelli," Jesus told Romario TV. "I first saw him, funny enough, during the 2019 Copa America preparation. The national team always calls up young players from the youth teams to come and train with us, right? There was a good young left winger. I said, 'Wow, what a good kid'.

"Then at the start of the season here, I saw Martinelli at Arsenal, and I said, 'Wow, I've seen this kid before', and it was him. So, it was him. I've seen him play for Itauno since he was young."

Jesus highlighted the winger's dedication to his craft, particularly in training. "Some of the things he does in daily routine, in training, are different. Because normally in the game, it's about what really decides this, but what you really want to see in a player is in training. The details, the little things."

Martinelli's stock has taken a hit this season, having started just nine Premier League matches. Transfer speculation has intensified, with Arsenal reportedly keen to bolster the left wing during the summer window.

Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool legend, shares similar views. "I think Arsenal will potentially go for a player on the left," he told TNT Sports. "I don't think Gabriel Martinelli has been as good as he was previously maybe and Leandro Trossard is a good player but that is an area they might look at in terms of how to get the team and squad better."