Mikel Arteta was informed that he had the next Luis Suarez at Arsenal, but he has entirely squandered the opportunity.

Luis Suarez scored three goals against Arsenal while playing for Liverpool and Barcelona. Arsene Wenger famously tried to sign Suarez in 2013, submitting a £40,000,001 bid for the striker, but Suarez eventually moved to Barcelona, where he scored against Arsenal in 2016, further highlighting what might have been for the Gunners. Had Wenger secured Suarez, it’s likely Arsenal would have won more trophies with such a relentless goal-scorer.

Gabriel Martinelli was once seen as a potential Arsenal player in the mold of Luis Suarez. In a recent episode of the ‘Handbrake Off’ podcast, former Arsenal player Adrian Clarke expressed that Arsenal missed the chance to develop Martinelli into a Suarez-type forward. Clarke believed that when Martin Odegaard was injured, Arteta should have given Martinelli a try as a striker instead of opting for Leandro Trossard. Clarke noted Martinelli’s work ethic, aggression, and potential to be a menace up front, similar to Suarez’s qualities.

Arteta has not fully committed to the idea of playing Martinelli as a centre-forward, but he did entertain the possibility in late 2022, following Gabriel Jesus’ injury. At the time, Arteta mentioned that Martinelli could be an option up front, alongside other alternatives like Eddie Nketiah. However, Arteta also acknowledged that the team was slightly short in attacking depth and that the return of Emile Smith Rowe would be an important addition.