Arsenal have been told that a player they once released from their academy is so good now that he would start ahead of Gabriel Martinelli.

The Gunners have one of the best youth setups in England. They have produced some incredible players over the years, but not all of them have made it at senior level at Arsenal.

One player they released when he was just 13 has become a star in the Premier League today. TalkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy is a massive fan of him.

Big claim about Eberechi Eze and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli has emerged

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is one of the most exciting players in the Premier League right now.

The 25-year-old had a really impressive season for the Eagles, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in 31 games in all competitions.

He has earned rave reviews for his performances since the turn of 2024 and has been attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham.

What many people don’t know is that Eze was actually on Arsenal’s books for five years.

The Englishman joined the Gunners when he was eight years old and stayed there until he was 13. He was released at that point and the attacker was heartbroken.

However, Eze didn’t let that disappointment stop him, and he has become a superstar now for Crystal Palace. It’s only a matter of time before he leaves for a bigger club.

Now, Jason Cundy has boldly claimed that Eze would easily start ahead of Gabriel Martinelli if he was at Arsenal.

He said on talkSPORT: “This kid is special. I think he is better than Doku. What I am doing is kind of comparing to where he can get in. I think he gets in Liverpool’s team.

“I think he gets in Arsenal’s team on the left-hand side. I would have him ahead of Trossard and Martinelli. I would. I 100% would.”

Is Eze really better than Martinelli?

Eberechi Eze is a wonderful footballer, there’s no debate there.

The Englishman is simply a joy to watch when he has the ball at his feet. He just glides past opponents like they aren’t even there and his quality in front of goal was evident in the 2023/24 season.

However, people are forgetting how good Gabriel Martinelli really is.

The Brazilian didn’t have the best campaign in the recently concluded season. He directly contributed to just 13 goals in all competitions and even lost his place to Leandro Trossard in the side.

However, Martinelli scored 15 goals in the Premier League in the previous campaign. He was absolutely electric that season and when he’s in form, he’s almost unstoppable.

To add to that, Martinelli is three years younger than Eze. When the Palace star was 22, he had a four-goal season at Selhurst Park.

Eze is a terrific footballer, but to say he’ll start ahead of a fully fit Martinelli is just a bit silly, in our opinion.