Gabriel Martinelli is happy at Arsenal despite reports of interest from Bayern Munich and Saudi Arabia during the summer and increased competition for his spot.
The 24-year-old, who has made 227 appearances for the club with 51 goals and 29 assists, admitted he faces strong competition for his starting place following the arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, with Leandro Trossard also still at the club, but Martinelli also stressed that that level of competition is essential for a squad aiming to compete for trophies.
Speaking while on international duty, he said: “Regarding Arsenal, it’s like here in the national team. If you ask me if it’s good to have Vini or Rodrygo in the national team, I’ll definitely say yes. Because he’ll help the team to win titles. And if we want to win, we need quality players.
“It’s the same with Arsenal. I’m very happy with Eze and Madueke’s arrival as well. Trossard also plays on the left side. So, we’re very happy when we have quality players by our side.
“We have a lot of matches in the season. A lot of things can happen, injuries, etc. So, we’re happy for the club to be looking for the best players in the league so we can try to win.”
Bayern’s approach earlier in the summer was rebuffed, with Arsenal making it clear that Martinelli was not available for sale.
Figures reported in Germany of £26–30 million were dismissed, with the player valued far higher by the club at around £60 million.