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Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has made an emphatic claim that his teammate Jorginho should have won the Ballon d'Or.
The Ballon d'Or is arguably the most significant individual award in the world of football that recognizes the best player of the year. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have popularly won it for most of the last 15 years, with the former winning eight times and the latter winning five.
Jorginho notably finished third in this race in 2021. The midfielder came behind Robert Lewandowski and Messi, who won the Ballon d'Or that year.
During a UnClassic Commentary segment on Arsenal's social media channels, Gabriel Martinelli rewatched the Gunners' 3-1 win over Liverpool on February 4. He went on to praise Jorginho's quality in the game, before adding that the 32-year-old should have won the Ballon d'Or (via Arsenal Insider):
“This here is one of Jorginho’s strengths, I can’t even find the words to describe it. I think he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or a while ago.”
Arsenal are already in motion to start negotiating a deal extension with Jorginho (via BeinSports). There is a pressing need for discussions because his contract is expiring at the end of this season.
The Italian has shown his value to the squad by making 41 appearances and scoring one goal since arriving from rivals Chelsea in January 2023. He has continued to be a big part of how they play this season. He has helped them reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League and sit at the top of the Premier League table.
Fabrizio Romano reveals Arsenal's search for a striker
Since Gabriel Jesus' injury, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard have been Arsenal's primary strikers, but the goals have come from players like Bukayo Saka. When the season finishes, the Gunners will be in search of a world-class striker.
Initially, it was believed that they would want Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus or Ivan Toney of Brentford. However, Fabrizio Romano claims that the Gunners are now considering Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, and Victor Osimhen.
The transfer specialist revealed (via Daily Post):
“They will take their time to decide who is the right player based on the budget, and based on how much they want to invest."
He added:
"They have been in attendance many times in Portugal to follow Viktor Gyokeres. They are informed on the release clause situation with Victor Osimhen, but that price is much higher. Then another player who is now appreciated by multiple clubs is Benjamin Sesko.”
Saka is the Gunners' top scorer this season with 16 goals and 13 assists in 37 games across competitions. Meanwhile, Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, their main strikers, have scored just 14 goals between them.
