Gelson Martins is a transfer target for Arsenal according to reports from Portugal and Arsene Wenger is apparently ‘determined’ to make the deal with Sporting.

The reports from Portugal suggest that Arsene Wenger is prepared to make a double bid for Gelson Martins and William Carvalho in a deal worth around £70m.

Martins is a right winger at Sporting and has even featured for Portugal in the Confederations Cup. Over last season, Martins played in 44 games for his club, scoring seven goals and assisting 14 times.

The 22-year-old has spent his whole youth and senior career at Sporting, making 88 senior appearances and is being dubbed as “The future Cristiano Ronaldo” in the words of Benfica president Domingos Estanislau.

Style and strengths

Gelson is best known for his pace and the way he surges past opponents with a flair that reminds you of Cristiano Ronaldo in his earlier years. His dribbling skills are also greatly developed and he uses them with his speed and agility to take on opponents in swift fashion.

As a classic winger, Gelson often ‘hugs’ the line and sends crosses into the penalty box. On average, he creates 1.37 chances and 1.09 key passes per-game. He is very good at keeping possession and maintains an 80% successful passing rate.

The player is very hard to dispossess and he often gets in dangerous situations when going forward. He uses his right foot to make 1.66 shots per-game.

Weaknesses

Martins is an old-school winger and even though he’s very good in his position, he still lacks knowledge and experience to provide a greater influence on his team and their playing style.

His pace and agility allow him to get out of dangerous situations and compensate for his mistakes and shortcomings but if he wants to become one of the best in Europe he still needs a lot more experience.

Aerial duels are another weakness for him as the player wins less than 18% of those. This is mostly due to the fact that he doesn’t have enough physical strength and height to be more dominant in the air.

Martins at Arsenal?

Martins is a rising star of Portuguese football. His talent and set of skills promise him a great career – he only needs to pick the right environment to develop and grow as a player.

Arsenal could have use for him, and if Arsene Wenger plans to rebuild his squad over the next few years, Gelson Martins does look like a great solution for the right wing.

The problem with the Martins deal is that he just recently signed a new contract with Sporting CP that runs until 2022, and Arsenal aren’t the only interested club.

Liverpool have also reportedly been in talks as Jurgen Klopp is believed to be very interested in the player and is prepared to offer more than £44m to sign him up.

Speed assists & goals