Paul Merson told Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports that Gabriel Martinelli is a ‘special’ player for Arsenal.
Alongside the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, the former Highbury player thinks Arsenal should ‘build the team’ around these youngsters.
With Mikel Arteta looking towards that Europa League showdown on Thursday, he made several changes to his side, including handing Martinelli his sixth Premier League start of the season on Sunday as Arsenal beat Newcastle.
Many Arsenal fans would like the teenage speedster to start in midweek, but given that Arteta has hardly played him, they may not get their wish.
But Merson thinks there is only one direction that Arsenal needs to look towards if they are to move forward.
“Start looking at the younger players, who can come in and get better over the next three or four years,” said Merson. “You cannot have this situation with Aubameyang again, like they did with Ozil. Now they have it with Aubameyang.
“As soon as Aubameyang is leaving someone will get 10 in 10 and they will say ‘you know what we better keep him, we have to give him god knows how much money now’.
“I think he (Martinelli) is a special player. I think he just needs to get fit. He’s a lad who picks up injuries. But if he gets fit then he’s another one (they can build towards).
“But they have to start to build the team around them (Martinelli, Saka and Smith Rowe).”
It perhaps sums up where Arsenal are that they are relying on youngsters to ensure this pretty abject campaign ends with a trophy or with some success.
It’s the only way Arsenal are going to lift the gloom around the Emirates by playing Champions League football next term, but they have to win the Europa League first.
And it will be pretty interesting what the reaction will be like from the Arsenal fans, towards Arteta, if it’s Unai Emery who is sending him packing from Europe.
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