Arsenal are reportedly considering a fresh approach to sign Gelson Martins from Atletico Madrid in the summer after witnessing his impressive run of form with loan club AS Monaco.
The Portuguese winger joined Atleti on a free transfer from Sporting last summer after he had rescinded his contract with the latter due to a training ground incident.
Martins thereafter struggled to make a meaningful impact for Atleti with just one goal across all competitions, but he has changed his fortunes since his temporary move to Monaco in January.
In the eight games for the club, he has already amassed three goals and two assists, and this form appears to have caught the eye of the Gunners.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Unai Emery’s side are said to have renewed their long-term interest in Martins after watching the player’s progress in the French Ligue 1.
The report adds that any attempt to sign him may have to wait until Atleti and Sporting manage to reach a compensation over the transfer fee for the player’s transfer last summer.
Atleti are said to have offered around £13m for the winger but that has not been accepted by Sporting, who could ask FIFA’s intervention to resolve the dispute.
With Aaron Ramsey parting ways with the club on a free transfer, the Gunners are sure to spend on another recruit to improve the creativity in the attack front, particularly with Denis Suarez failing to impress the manager.
In this regard, Martins is a player, who can provide the threat from the right wing position, where he has primarily featured, although his performances in Spain were not particularly great.
Arsenal are said to possess a restricted £45m budget for the summer and this should once more push the club towards pursuing bargain deals. The kitty could, however, be enhanced with Champions League qualification.
