Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli 'among five Barcelona summer transfer targets'

The 22-year-old was playing in the fourth tier of Brazilian football with Ituano before being unearthed by Arsenal, who paid just £6m to bring him to the Emirates Stadium in 2019.

Since touching down in the English capital and earning his stars under Unai Emery, Martinelli has proven to be a hidden gem, already contributing 40 goals and 22 assists from 158 matches for the Gunners.

Martinelli found the back of the net 15 times in the 2022-23 Premier League season - the joint-most of any Arsenal player alongside Martin Odegaard - and he was called up to Brazil's 2022 World Cup squad on account of his stellar domestic displays.

The winger has found the going a bit tougher this time around, only netting five Premier League goals so far in 2023-24, but three of those efforts have come in four games since the turn of the year.

As Mikel Arteta and Edu began their mission to agree new contracts with Arsenal's young core, Martinelli was one of the first to agree to fresh terms, penning an extension until 2027 with the option of a further year last February.

Nevertheless, according to Mundo Deportivo - via AS - Barcelona will try to prise Martinelli away from the Emirates this summer as the Spanish champions prepare for a potential attacking reshuffle.

La Blaugrana - who will also wave goodbye to head coach Xavi at the end of the season - have apparently put Raphinha up for sale given their need to raise funds, while it remains to be seen if Atletico Madrid loanee Joao Felix will be signed permanently.

President Joan Laporta has insisted that the club are keen to keep Felix on the books, but it has been claimed that other members of staff harbour doubts due to the Portuguese's form and recent ankle injury.

Should neither Raphinha nor Felix stay at Camp Nou this summer, Barcelona would be left with Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres as their only two wide options, although Pedri and ACL victim Gavi have both deputised further up the field.

A new winger could therefore become a priority area for Barcelona this summer, although Martinelli is only believed to be one of three attackers on the Blaugrana's radar, a list which also includes Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma.

Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is said to be of interest to Barca chiefs too, but neither he nor Martinelli will be on the move for anything other than an extortionate fee this summer, meaning that a move for Mitoma may be Barca's best bet.

In addition to their offensive ranks, Barcelona are still searching for a long-term successor to Sergio Busquets in the number six role, and Everton's Amadou Onana is reportedly of interest to La Blaugrana as well.

The fifth and final name on Barca's summer shortlist is Girona fulcrum Aleix Garcia, who has contributed three goals and four assists from 23 La Liga fixtures during his side's phenomenal campaign, which sees the White and Reds sit second in the table behind Real Madrid.

Garcia has already declared his interest in a future move to Barcelona - comments which did not go down well with head coach Michel, who said that the midfielder had made a "mistake" by publicly revealing his desire to represent the La Liga champions.