Arteta juices two Barcelona swap offers for ‘untouchable’ Arsenal star as former Prem pair are offered as bait

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reported to have rejected two swap approaches from Barcelona for Gabriel Martinelli over the summer after Hansi Flick turned to the Brazilian winger after being priced out of a move for Nico Williams.

The LaLiga giants pushed hard to sign Spain hero Williams over the summer and were exploring ways to finance his £49m (€58m, $63.2m) exit clause to bring him to the Nou Camp. Ultimately, the fact that the fee needed to be paid in one fell swoop, combined with the winger making clear his wishes to remain at Athletic Bilbao for another season, meant Barcelona were forced to walk away from the deal for this summer at least.

However, new Barca coach Flick was adamant he did need another quality option to play off the wing as cover and competition for Raphinha and Lamine Yamal and now reports in Spain claim Barcelona set their sights on a move for Arsenal star Martinelli instead.

The Blaugrana have held a long-standing interest in the 13-times capped Brazil winger having been persistently linked with him over recent years and the failure to land Williams thrust him back into their thinking as their ‘main Plan B’.

The Brazilian winger’s form was slightly on the patchy side last season, with the 23-year-old only contributing eight goals and five assists across his 44 appearances.

And in an effort to tempt them into a deal, El Nacional reports that Barcelona offered both Ferran Torres and Andreas Christensen as part of a cash plus-player exchange deal.

Arteta, though, was adamant Martinelli would not be allowed to leave, with the report claiming he feels the 23-year-old is ‘untouchable’ and seen as a big part of their future.

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Arteta wants more from Martinelli despite Christensen temptation

Torres moved to Barcelona in a £45m (€53m, $58.8m) move from Manchester City in January 2022, but has never really been trusted as a regular and they have often tried to move him on during his time at the Nou Camp.

And while Arteta has been linked with him in the past, that interest has not faded and with the Gunners boss ultimately choosing to reunite instead with Raheem Sterling.

Christensen, though, is deemed to be a player Arteta admires and with the Gunners boss chasing ‘more alternatives in defence’ it’s stated that he views the Denmark international as ‘a very interesting reinforcement’ owing to his ‘versatility and experience’.

Ultimately, though, he was not willing to trade in Martinelli to make the deal happen, with Barcelona’s hopes of a swap deal ultimately coming to nothing.

The capture of Sterling, though, does place Martinelli’s position in the side under threat, though Arteta made clear last month that he is glad to have two quality wingers at his disposal.

“We need wingers with the ability to go one vs one, to attack the spaces, to have the work rate, to increase the goal threat from every position and we have players who can play in various positions in the front line, especially because we have some injuries there. In the past, we have to be protected and all the players we have here have these qualities.”

Arteta also talked up Martinelli’s qualities after he scored and assisted in the recent win over Leicester.

“A goal, assist, probably two more chances he had, and he works every day in training on these type of chances, these runs, these finishes,” he told football.london. “It was only a matter of time before he got back on the scoresheet, so I am delighted for him.”

Arsenal in strong position to sign Sesko as Jonathan David terms emerge

After strengthening in defence, midfield, and the wings over the summer, the next target for Arsenal will be in attack and we understand the Gunners have positioned themselves at the front of the queue to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko in 2025.

And while a deal in the winter window looks difficult to pull off, sources have told us that a swoop next summer very much looks to be on the cards with Arteta able to play an ace card to beat rivals Manchester United to a deal.

Another striker option is Jonathan David and the fact he is now looking likely to leave Lille as a free agent next summer makes the Canada hot-shot of huge appeal to a plethora of clubs.

The 24-year-old has also opened up on his desire to play in the Premier League and while competition is there from both Barcelona and in particular, Inter Milan, the Gunners are among a clutch of clubs to have gathered information over what it would take to secure a potential deal.

The Gunners, though, seemingly face a major battle to retain the services of star defender William Saliba in 2025 after a concerning new report revealed Real Madrid have taken the first steps towards his blockbuster signing.

Martinelli stats illustrate his value to Arsenal