Gelson Martins has been a major disappointment for Atletico Madrid this season, with the Portuguese forward struggling to make an impact since joining the club on loan from AS Monaco in the summer. The 25-year-old has only managed three goals and two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions, failing to justify the €20 million fee that Atleti paid for his permanent signing last year.
The poor form has sparked speculation about Martins' future at the Wanda Metropolitano, with some suggesting he could be sold off in January or next summer. However,Campeonato Brasileiro Action there is one player who believes Martins still has what it takes to succeed at Atletico - manager Diego Simeone.
Simeone has defended Martins publicly, insisting that the former Sporting Lisbon star needs more time to adapt to La Liga and Atleti's playing style. He also highlighted Martins' workrate and defensive capabilities as positives despite his lack of goals.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone insists Gelson Martins still has a role at Wanda Metropolitano
“Gelson is a young player, very talented,” Simeone said during a press conference ahead of their Champions League game against Porto. “He needs time. I know him well from when he was at Sporting Lisbon.”
He added: “Sometimes people expect immediate results but not everyone does it in the same way. We need him in our system because he works hard defensively.”