Gelson Martins: Arsenal manager Unai Emery is the right man to get the talented winger back on track
Portuguese winger Gelson Martins hasnt delivered on the big expectations his arrival at Atltico Madrid brought, but Unai Emerys history of getting wayward players back on track suggests a move to Arsenal could yield positive results.As personal terms and negotiations with Chelsea for lvaro Morata are wrapped up, Atltico Madrid are frantically looking to offload the couple of players they can spare from their stretched squad to clear up cash from a wage bill that leaves no room to manoeuvre.
4Atletico Madrid star Gelson Martins in actionOne of the two big candidates to move is 23-year-old Martinsand it was no coincidence he, along with fellow exit-bound attacker Nikola Kalinic, dropped out of the matchday squad to play Huesca at the weekend, suffering conveniently timed niggles and complaints.Martins has found out the hard way that Diego Simeone can be exceptionally ruthless when a player fails to adapt to his style.Far more experienced and decorated forwards like Mario Manduki discovered as much early on in previous seasons, so Atletis willingness to let go of their summer signing in all likelihood temporarily shouldnt be seen as any exaggeratedly great slight on the former Sporting mans abilities. Rather, Simeone simply has to realistically face the pressure of making it to a Champions League final at his home stadium, as well as keeping pace with Barcelona in La Liga, and cant afford to carry the growing pains of a player new to the country when a ready made La Liga forward like Morata is available.That doesnt change the fanfare with which Martins arrival on a free transfer last summer was greeted.Bringing in a player who at 23 already had 140 games for Sporting under his belt (including double figures worth in Europe), not to mention one seen as a star of the future for the cost of zero was considered a major coup especially when the likes of Arsenal were also sniffing around.In the months since, Martins has played sporadically, either on the wing or as a secondary forward, but has struggled to find his place in Simeones defence-first style that has a habit of stifling all but the most patient of attackers.
4Ateltico boss Diego Simeone hasn’t quite got the best from Martins in LaLiga.A loan move to Arsenal, where he would be coached by the still demanding but far more creatively-minded Emery, could well be the pick-me-up the Portugal international needs. Particularly when Emery has a habit of taking players going through difficult moments then turning them around with his combination of infectious passion and pinpoint-accurate analysis of how they can improve their game.Ever Banega found out as much at Sevilla. The Basque coach turned the midfielder around dramatically, taking him from someone cast aside as a wasted talent to the finished article as a playmaker with as sharp an eye for a killer pass as anyone in Spain.It was a similar story for Adil Rami, who Valencia couldnt wait to get rid of, but Sevilla converted into a trophy-winning rock at the back. Fellow Europa League winner Nico Parejas story followed a similar trend.Could Martins be the next to benefit from the Emery magic?
4Arsenal manager Unai Emery could turn things around for Martins.Considering Arsenal have been attempting to bring the player to the Emirates since last summer, there is no doubt their coach sees potential to be tapped.The Gunners are in the market for a winger, and with the goal of competing in multiple competitions meaning the games will come thick and fast in the coming months, regular match time will be on offer in his favoured forward positions to an extent that wasnt possible in Madrid.It is easy to see how Martins combination of pace and dribbling ability could fit in well in the end-to-end world of the Premier League, too. And though he isnt likely to be asked for the same extreme defensive commitment as is demanded by Simeone, the Portuguese is not a slacker, owing to his many formative years spent playing at full-back. Even Cholo has praised him for being generous this season.
4Martins is capable of doing his defensive duties as well as attacking.While Atleti are expected to favour a loan over a straight sale, the desperation of their situation may leave some room for any interested parties to manoeuvre.The Spaniards want the Morata deal tied up as soon as possible. in order to earn their new striker as much playing time as possible before the Champions League returns.In a market where attacking talent is king, Arsenal could certainly do worse than to seize the unique opportunity, and Gelson isnt likely to get a better option than the Emirates and Emery either.
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