Arsenal wins the gold medal thanks to Emery’s “tremendous talent”

It would be fair to say that the last five years or so have been a roller coaster Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta He took a team that was teetering on the edge of mediocrity in the table and turned them into a genuine contender for top spot. Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

However, while he captured something from the sinking ship Unai EmeryIt would be unfair to put the blame for everything that happened during his short tenure at his feet.

Furthermore, there were some things he did right, such as signing a player whose value has skyrocketed in the years since.

Emery’s best deals with Arsenal

While the majority of Emery’s signings at Arsenal have been average to poor, he has brought in a few quality players during his year and a half in charge.

Undoubtedly his best addition to the squad was William Saliba, who cost the Gunners around £27m and put pen to paper in the summer of 2019.

Granted, the Frenchman has not actually played under the Aston Villa boss, and also appeared to be on his way out at one point, but he is now one of the most important players in Arteta’s squad.

Bondi-born ‘monster’ It was named after creator Connor Hammhas now made 142 appearances for the club and has just agreed a new five-year contract, which will hopefully keep Real Madrid at bay for a little longer.

Another defender Emery signed who ended up becoming a fan favorite at the Emirates Stadium is Kieran Tierney.

The Scot joined in the summer of 2019, and although he is not at the same level as Saliba and has suffered an injury setback, he has been the epitome of a hard-working professional and something of an old-school defender.

He may not have become the leader many thought, but he made his mark in north London and remains hugely popular with fans.

Finally, although David Luiz and Bernd Leno were never top-quality players during their time at N5, like Tierney, they can never be accused of not trying, and perhaps they should be held in slightly higher regard than they are now.

With all that said, there is another player Emery signed who is still at the club today and his value has risen significantly.

Emery’s signature whose value exploded

Given that he is not Saliba, it would come as no surprise that the Arsenal player in question is none other than Gabriel Thimenes.

Emery was still in charge of the club when he was signed from Brazilian club Ituano in the summer of 2019 for a fee. To be around the £6 million markAccording to Transfermarkt, it is Its value now reaches 55 million eurosWhich amounts to about 48 million pounds sterling.

In other words, the 24-year-old is now worth £42m more than when he joined the north Londoners, a staggering increase of around 700% – not a bad investment.

Now, there will undoubtedly be some who question such a valuation, or point to his lackluster form over the past few years as a reason behind his declining value.

However, it is important to remember that although he is no longer as important as he once was for Arteta, he can still do a job for a top team like the Gunners.

For example, so far this season, he has found the back of the net on three occasions, provided one assist in just nine appearances, and has become even more useful in his new role as an impact substitute.

Moreover, while the “phenomenal talent”, as it is called By Rio Ferdinandhas its drawbacks and can be frustrating at times, its underlying numbers are reasonably impressive.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of non-penalty expected goals per shot, top 8% in terms of average shot distance, top 9% in terms of touches in the opposition penalty area, top 10% in terms of passes inside the penalty area, and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Martinelli may never be the star striker many hoped he would be for Arsenal, but he is a useful player to have in the team and justifies his current valuation.