Speaking to Arsenal’s official club website, new signing Pablo Mari has hailed teenage sensation Gabriel Martinelli for his debut campaign at the club.
What did he say?
Martinelli has been a revelation for the Gunners since joining from Brazilian side Ituano last summer for a fee in the region of £6m.
The 18-year-old has struck ten times across all competitions this season, including strikes away at Liverpool and Chelsea. And despite only arriving in the last week of the January transfer window himself, Mari has admitted that Martinelli’s performances for the club have caught his eye.
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He said: “He has exploded on to the scene and is showing that he’s a great player with a lot of talent. Martinelli has shown he is a bit different to any other player in terms of his ability. He has great vision and there’s real talent there in terms of his dribbling and his ability to choose the right play.
“His decision-making is improving all the time. Martinelli still has a lot more to show but he has incredible talent and I think gradually he’ll keep developing and become a top player.”
Surprise spark
Could anyone really have predicted the kind of rise Martinelli has enjoyed in his first few months at Arsenal? The Brazilian starlet has taken English football by storm, and became the first teenager since Nicolas Anelka to break into double figures in terms of goals for a campaign.
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At just 18 years of age, the forward has so much time to further develop and grow, and he represents an exciting part of Arsenal’s side. With the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette at the other end of their respective careers, Martinelli has a real chance to become the Gunners’ main man over the coming years. It’s a tantalising prospect that he is already showing he could more than deliver on.
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