Gelson Martins has no shortage of ambition for next season in Ligue 1 Conforama, saying he sees the principality club pipping Paris Saint-Germain to the post 'in the short term'.
Suspended for six months for jostling referee Mikael Lesage at Nimes (3-1) on 1 February, Gelson Martins is eager to get back on the pitch with Monaco next season. The electric winger, who made a real impact in the principality after signing from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2019,
'Win the title'
It is a campaign he is looking forward to with great ambition, as he told Portuguese media outlet Record.
"I think we can win the title in the short term, but it's not an obsession," said the 25-year-old, who made 20 starts (four goals, one assist) for Leonardo Jardim and then his successor Robert Moreno in season 2019-20. "It will depend on the context."
It's complicated...
Context can of course make a huge difference - as Martins found out with former employers Sporting Lisbon in 2018, when a group of the club's disgruntled fans invaded the training centre and assaulted several players.
Martins had his contract cancelled and moved - somewhat controversially - to Atlético Madrid on a free transfer, but was used sparingly by Diego Simeone and made the switch to Monaco half-way through the 2018-19 campaign.
He quickly became a fixture at the Stade Louis II, his electric pace and fearless approach winning matches - and winning over the fans - and he signed a five-year deal in the summer of 2019.
New leaf
But then a rush of blood to the head in Nîmes saw him handed the six-month ban and he has been side-lined ever since.
"The last few years have not been easy. A lot of things have happened that have turned my career upside down a bit, but I'm sure it will be different next season," he smiled. "I can guarantee that I'm going to give my best to make things different."
