While they ultimately ended the campaign empty-handed, it would be fair to say that, on the whole, Arsenal took another step forward last season.
Mikel Arteta's side came within two points of Manchester City in the Premier League and put in a good showing in the Champions League.
However, for all the stars who saw their stock rise at the Emirates, a few players endured a disappointing year.
One of those was Gabriel Martinelli, who struggled to kick on from his impressive showing in 2022/23, and that could cost him a place in the team this season, as based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co could be about to land an incredibly exciting winger who may be the perfect upgrade on the Brazilian.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are interested in signing Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman this summer.
Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are also interested in the Frenchman. However, the good news is that while he'd be happy to move to England or Spain, he is 'particularly keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium.'
The report has revealed that the German Behemoths value the 28-year-old between €30m and €40m, which converts to between £26m and £34m. Interestingly, they would also be willing to let him leave on loan this season.
In all, if Arsenal can secure Coman on loan, then this deal seems like a no-brainer, and even if they have to pay a fee, the reported prices aren't unreasonable, although his potential arrival could be bad news for Martinelli.
How Coman compares to Martinelli
Okay, so the first thing to point out is that while Coman has started plenty of games off the right of a front three in his career – 118 to be precise – he's spent more time playing off the left – 169 starts – so were he to make a move to North London this summer he'd likely do so with the intention of playing on the left.
Moreover, last season, Arteta made it quite clear that he was happy and willing to make changes on the left, whereas it's abundantly clear that Bukayo Saka's place in the starting lineup is practically guaranteed, although you can understand why, given his tally of 34 goal involvements in 47 games last season.
Therefore, one of the Bayern ace's main competitors in this Arsenal side would be Martinelli, but how do the pair stack up to one another?
Well, to be honest, when it comes to pure output last season, neither one had a particularly impressive campaign.
For example, the Gunners number 11 racked up 13 goals and assists in 44 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 3.38 games, while the former Juventus star produced eight in just 27 matches, meaning he maintained a marginally more impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.37 games.
However, when we look at their underlying numbers from last season, the difference is far starker, and unfortunately for the former Ituano gem, it is not in his favour.
For example, in practically every metric, the Paris-born dynamo, whom former Bayen Sporting Director Matthias Sammer once described as "one of the biggest talents in European football," comes out on top, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, passes and passes received, passing accuracy, passes and crosses into the penalty area, key passes and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.53
0.58
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.49
0.45
Progressive Carries
6.05
5.67
Progressive Passes
5.81
2.90
Progressive Passes Received
16.9
15.4
Shots
2.75
2.59
Passing Accuracy
81.6%
77.9%
Key Passes
2.34
2.05
Passes into the Penalty Area
3.31
1.47
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.65
0.31
Shot-Creating Actions
5.09
4.10
Goal-Creating Actions
0.57
0.49
Aerial Duels Won
0.48
0.67
Ultimately, while Martinelli is an undeniably talented winger and someone who could rediscover his form this season, the "formidable" Coman, as dubbed by former coach Patrick Gonfalone, massively outperforms him when it comes to the pair's underlying numbers, suggesting that were he to join Arsenal this summer, he'd be a far more useful player to have out on the left.
Therefore, if Edu and Co have the chance to sign him this summer, they should take it, even if they have to pay a fee upfront.
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