If not Gabriel Martinelli, then certainly Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli (R) celebrates scoring their first goal to equalise 1-1 with Arsenal’s English striker Bukayo Saka (L) during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in London on January 21, 2020. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Gabriel Martinelli wants to become an Arsenal legend, which is just music to our ears, but all things considered, even if he doesn’t, Bukayo Saka will.
Arsenal‘s youth system has kicked it up a notch. It used to be there was one, maybe two prospects at a time that we were genuinely excited about coming to the first-team picture. Very few of them ever actually made it.
And yet, here we are with a handful of guys all pushing at the first-team set-up. All five guys may be in a position to step into enhanced first-team roles if Mikel Arteta carries out the necessary overhaul to move the club forward.
No one is higher on the hype totem pole than the dynamic duo of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. These two are something else. And I’m still gushing over Martinelli’s recent statements when he gushed about his place at the club, everything from the manager to his goals at the club.
He wants to be a legend here. Not anywhere else. Now, invoking the ‘L’ word is always dicey, because there can only be so many legends. They don’t come around all that often and time is a huge factor in legendhood.
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But it’s never too early to start dreaming, and time is on Martinelli’s side. It’s also on Saka’s side, and it’s got me thinking about how, even if Martinelli doesn’t live u to expectations, surely Saka would.
It’s kind of dicey believing that two prospects can both become legends. Gabriel Martinelli has already highlighted his mission to be exactly that while Saka needs a new contract, so Martinelli is certainly closer to his desired storyline than Saka, but both have the talent to put in the work and become exactly that. All they have to do is put their heads down and keep doing what they’re doing. If they already have this much talent and present relevance, then just think what could happen in five, six years.
It’s gonna be mental. Like, full-on mental. As long as we keep them both and they keep their heads down, like I said.
The point is, we have two guys here that have legitimate outlooks of becoming Arsenal legends. And for goodness sake, would you look at Matteo Guendouzi too? This club has stepped out into a new era with three guys all capable of doing something incredible with their footballing careers.
