How Arsenal beat Man Utd to Gabriel Martinelli signing
FT Desk
- 11 Oct 2022 09:50 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal beat Man Utd to signing of the Gabriel Martinelli in 2019, and the Brazilian has proven to be an inspired buy.
Martinelli joined the Gunners from Ituano in 2019 while he was still a teenager.
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Now 21, Martinelli is regarded as one of the most exciting young wide attackers in world football.
But he could have been a Man Utd player now had Arsenal not successfully sold to him their project.
What did Romano say about Gabriel Martinelli?
“Gabriel Martinelli is one of the players of the moment, so how did Arsenal get him ahead of other top clubs who also knew about his potential when he was a teenager?” Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column.
“Manchester United wanted him, as did many clubs also in other countries. Teams in Italy and Spain had the chance to sign Martinelli but Arsenal did a fantastic job as they’re very good with young talents. They explained to him the project for present and future and he was really happy about that.”
Martinelli’s future is now in discussion as his current contract expires in 2024.
The feeling is that he will sign a new deal but he is demanding a big increase in wages.
— Gabriel Martinelli (@gabimartinelli) October 10, 2022
“And now, I think he could extend his stay further,” Romano added.
“Martinelli spoke to the English press after Arsenal’s win over Liverpool and he confirmed his intentions very clearly – he wants to stay at Arsenal. His agents are already in discussions over a new contract.”
Martinelli has enjoyed a fantastic start to the new season, scoring four goals and delivering two assists.
His performances have helped Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table. He was key also in their 3-2 win over Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday.
Martinelli scored the opener and assisted Bukayo Saka’s first goal.
