He said that Chelsea have all it takes to lure a player like Martinelli to the club if he refuses to sign new contract at the Emirates.

The Brazilian recently made a request of £200,000 weekly wage from Arsenal and is ‘not even close’ to signing a new deal.

He is one of the shining lights at the Emirates this season, helping Mikel Arteta’s side stay top of the table after nine games.

The winger’s current contract doesn’t expire until 2024 and the club have the option of extending that by a further 12 months.

“He’s a very exciting young player, so I can definitely believe that Chelsea are interested,” Johnson told Bettingodds.com.

“The closer he gets towards the end of his contract, then there’s a chance they could sign him.

Chelsea’s a massive football club and despite the fact that they’ve not been competing as much as they should have been in recent seasons, it still remains a massive attraction.

“If Gabriel gets to the summer with a year to go on his deal, then I’m sure Chelsea would want a move and I’m sure Martinelli would.”