Arsenal's Frantic Search for Left Winger After Martinelli's Exit
Arsenal’s search for a new left winger has turned frantic after Gabriel Martinelli’s move to Al-Hilal – and a bold late idea has already hit a dead end.
According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal explored the possibility of a shock loan for Marcus Rashford in the final days of the window, a move completely separate from their ongoing push to prise Julian Alvarez away. It would have been one of the stories of the summer. It never got close. Rashford shut the door.
The England forward has spent the past year living out of a suitcase, on loan at Barcelona and then Aston Villa, and a permanent exit from Manchester United looked almost certain earlier in the window. His priority was clear: go back to Catalonia. Barcelona held a £26 million release clause in his contract and had the option to bring him back for good.
They walked away.
Instead, Barça invested in Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, leaving Rashford’s route back to La Liga blocked and his future wide open. That gap in the market quickly drew others in.
The Times reports that Fenerbahce made a serious play to land him as their marquee signing, a statement arrival for a Champions League campaign. The Turkish club pushed. Rashford didn’t budge. He made it clear he had no appetite for a move to the Super Lig.
With Barcelona out, Fenerbahce rebuffed and Arsenal’s late interest going nowhere, the picture has flipped. Manchester United, once braced for life without him, are now prepared to keep their academy product.
His £325,000-a-week wages have loomed over every negotiation, shrinking the list of clubs who can realistically take him on permanently and forcing Rashford to reassess what he wants from the next phase of his career. The answer, for now, is to stay put – and to work under Michael Carrick.
The relationship between player and head coach has become the key factor in this U-turn. Rashford returned to action in the defeat to Hull City, coming on at half-time for Patrick Dorgu, and has impressed Carrick with his attitude since rejoining the group.
Carrick did not hide his admiration. “It’s been pretty obvious since Marcus came back training with Kobbie [Mainoo] and Licha [Martinez] pretty much in Dublin that he’s come back fantastically well, you know,” he said. That endorsement has effectively pulled Rashford back into the inner circle at Carrington and into the first-team picture again.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are left scrambling. With Martinelli gone and the window closing on Tuesday night, they need a left-sided attacker quickly or risk entering the heart of the season light in a key area. Their attempt to test the waters with Rashford has failed; the search moves on.
Rashford’s focus now is far more local. He is aiming to feature when Manchester United host Ipswich Town on Sunday, a fixture that carries a personal weight. If selected, it will mark his first appearance at Old Trafford since December 2024 – a return not just to a stadium, but to a stage he once made his own.
