According to a recent report by Portuguese newspaper outlet O Jogo, as reported by the Metro, Arsenal have made a move to secure the services of Gelson Martins from Atletico Madrid on loan during this winter transfer window.
The same report has also claimed that Diego Simeone’s team are looking to sign Alvaro Morata and could offload one of their underperforming players to make room for the Spanish forward which could give the Gunners some hope in pursuit of a loan move for the Portuguese winger.
Martins began his career at Futebol Benfica, before making a switch to the Sporting Academy back in 2010. He worked his way up the youth levels of Sporting CP before graduating and being promoted to play for their B team. Soon after, he got a chance to shine in the club’s senior team where he rose to prominence with a number of outstanding displays over the past few campaigns.
However, he decided to join Atletico Madrid last summer but has struggled to nail down a place in Simeone’s first-team. He has made 12 appearances for the La Liga giants this term and has scored just one goal so far across all competitions.
It is no secret that the Portuguese talent needs to play regularly if he wants to fulfil his real potential. A move to Arsenal could be an ideal opportunity for him to get his career back on track even if it is on a loan deal.
The 23-year-old has a lot of pace in his locker and is a classic old-fashioned winger who likes to beat his man off the dribble and put in crosses from the wide areas. He is also willing to work hard on the pitch which would suit Unai Emery’s style of play at the Emirates Stadium.
The addition of Martins will undoubtedly bolster Emery’s attacking options at North London. The Gunners have currently got some talented attackers such as Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi vying for a place on the flanks in Emery’s starting XI. However, except for Iwobi, none of the other playmakers are natural wingers so Arsenal will do well to recruit Martins who will add some much-needed quality to their squad in January.
