Bielsa wanted £6m “machine” in 2019, now he’s worth £129m

Much like any club, Leeds United have endured their fair share of transfer heartbreak or costly mistakes over the years, having notably missed out on a handful of high-profile stars who have gone on to blossom elsewhere in the European game.

One notable example in recent times was the failure of Victor Orta and co to snap up Leeds-born sensation, Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian marksman having been offered to those at Elland Road while at Molde during his teenage years.

Despite having been available for a fee of just £4m, the financial woes of the Whites at the time ensured that no deal ever came to fruition, with the 6 foot 4 powerhouse going on to join Red Bull Salzburg in 2019.

The rest, as they say, is history, with Haaland netting 29 goals in just 27 games for the Austrian outfit, prior to plundering 86 goals in only 89 appearances for Bundesliga giants, Borussia Dortmund, cementing his status as one of the most sought-after talents in world football.

Now at Manchester City – who the 23-year-old joined on a £51m deal last summer – the prolific hotshot already has 60 goals to his name in just 65 games for Pep Guardiola’s side to date, having been a vital part in the club’s treble success in 2022/23.

The towering titan isn’t the only former Leeds target who is currently ripping it up in the Premier League, however, with the Yorkshire side likely to be ruing their failure to snap up the man who clinched victory for Arsenal against Haaland and City at the weekend – Gabriel Martinelli.

Why didn’t Leeds sign Gabriel Martinelli?

Back in February 2019, the Whites were enjoying their first season under the management of enigmatic coach, Marcelo Bielsa, with the Argentine tactician looking to end the club’s lengthy stint outside of England’s top tier.

While that season would ultimately end in disappointment, at the time it looked as if Leeds stood a real chance of gaining promotion, with Bielsa and co looking ahead to potential moves they could make in the summer window.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the promotion hopefuls – as well as Watford – were said to be interested in signing the teenage Martinelli from Brazilian lower league side, Ituano, with the highly-rated 17-year-old valued at around £10m.

Despite that possible interest from the Elland Road hierarchy, as was the case with Haaland, no move ever materialised, with the fleet-footed forward ultimately moving to the Emirates later that same year.

How much Arsenal pay for Martinelli?

Despite that prior price tag of £10m, it was actually just £6m that was required for the Gunners to snap up the young Brazilian in the summer of 2019, with the 5 foot 10 whiz having since made that figure look like a total bargain.

Although injury did disrupt the emerging superstar in his early years in north London, the winger was still able to make a strong first impression in his new surroundings, scoring ten goals in just 26 games in all competitions during his debut season.

The relatively unknown quantity announced himself to Arsenal supporters with a brace on debut against Nottingham Forest, having also scored twice against Standard Liege and Liverpool in the Europa League and League Cup, respectively, that season.

It was that clinical double against Jurgen Klopp’s men that particularly caught the eye of fans and pundits alike, with the Reds boss himself dubbing Martinelli as a possible “talent of the century” such was his sky-high potential.

How much is Gabriel Martinelli worth now?

As stated above, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride since then for the 22-year-old “machine” – as hailed by journalist Simon Collings – due to injury, yet last season saw him particularly explode under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta.

With the Gunners thrust into a title tussle with Man City, the £180k-per-week asset remarkably chipped in with 15 goals and five assists in the Premier League alone, forming part of a devastating attacking duo involving himself and academy star, Bukayo Saka.

Such blistering form has continued into the current campaign, with Martinelli already racking up one goal and two assists from just six top-flight outings, notably scoring against the champions last time out to clinch a crucial 1-0 win.

That vital late strike epitomised the great strides that the seven-cap international has made of late, with that further evidenced by the fact that he is now said to be worth in the region of €150m (£129m), according to CIES Football Observatory.

How good is Gabriel Martinelli?

To have been keen on the soaring talent when he was available for just £6m will likely sting as far as Leeds are concerned, even if the Whites did get to enjoy a special Brazilian gem of their own in the form of Raphinha.

The current Barcelona trickster – who arrived in Yorkshire from Rennes in 2020 – scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in just 67 games for the Elland Road outfit during his two-year stint, having been a real weapon from the flanks in that time.

Despite the 26-year-old’s obvious quality, however, it could be argued that not even he is of the level of his compatriot, emphasised by the fact that the one-time Sporting CP ace is currently valued at just €80m (£69m), according to CIES.

Equally, in contrast to Martinelli’s form last term, Raphinha scored just seven goals and provided only seven assists in La Liga, having been unable to make a significant impact since moving to Camp Nou for £55m in 2022.

With Martinelli’s relative youth also ensuring he still has plenty of time left to grow, it remains to be just how good he can be in the years to come.

Of course, Bielsa and co certainly enjoyed their time with Raphinha, yet missing out on a bargain Brazilian like the Gunners ace remains a bitter pill to swallow for Leeds.