French Connection: Gelson Martins proves the savior of Monaco

For five long months, Monaco was found in the relegation points of Ligue 1. Defeats after defeat seemed to follow, with the holding of the Principality plunging to lows that few people thought possible.

Drastic measures were taken in January, during a mbadive transfer campaign with a change of coach who saw Thierry Henry replaced by Leonardo Jardim.

However, perhaps the biggest decision the club made was to have Gelson Martins sign a loan from Atletico Madrid.

Since his debut in the semifinal of the League Cup against Guingamp – a match for which Monaco has finally lost 5-4 on penalties – the 23-year-old Portuguese international has shone a thousand lights.

He had two badistants in his debut, and another in the 2-1 win over Toulouse that followed. Incredibly, the first win of his home team of the season. His first goal was followed a week later in Montpellier, where he also shot for Radamel Falcao to recover the rebound to allow a draw 2-2. But Martins did not finish there, winning the winner against Nantes last weekend.

That was not done on his own, but it's fair to say that if he had not been involved, Jardim's team would not have jumped from the 19th to the 16th before a clash with Lyon in form. this week-end.

Like his club, Martins had a dismal first half of the season. Broken into controversy as he was terminating his contract at Sporting CP, where he had grown up in the academy since he was 15, he was struggling to find his best form at Atleti. who had not lost time to join a free agent.

He played only 12 games with the Spaniards, mainly on the bench of judges, and hardly justified the compensation of 100 million euros requested by Sporting.

A new start was needed for a man who was hoping to become the next Cristiano Ronaldo or Luis Figo, and he found it in Monaco.

These are not, however, the Portuguese icons to which he sought inspiration, but beyond the Atlantic Ocean, in Brazil and Robinho in particular.

"I saw him on TV and I tried to copy everything he had done," Martins told the Portuguese federation. "I was fast like him. I've always claimed to be him on the street.

Gelson has proven himself as a worthy successor and has all the tricky dribbling features needed to be a high-caliber player, combining them with his speed and agility that make it a nightmare so much Stop at full speed.

Even the boss of Portugal, ultra-conservative, Fernando Santos – a man criticized for his lack of confidence in youth – was forced to play the bet of this young player when he broke into the first team of Sporting, where he settled for three seasons before moving. following the attack of a group of supporters on the training ground.

If the transfer to Atleti has not yet succeeded, it benefits Monaco, where the player touched the ground quickly, with a clear desire to show what he is really capable of.

"I knew the club and some of the players, and that helped me integrate," he said. "The situation of the club is an additional source of motivation for me. I really wanted to help the team and I hope we can win our next matches to get out of this position. "

There is little danger that Monaco will come back into trouble if his new ace, who joined compatriots such as Rony Lopes and Adrien Silva at the Stade Louis II, continues its momentum.

Maybe the only concern for Monaco now is how to make it stay. Despite reports of a redemption clause in the loan agreement, the player has denied his existence and each winning display of the match only adds to its value.

Given the club's position, this is a problem that Monaco is delighted to have.