How Martinelli was defined by Man Utd and Barcelona rejections

Robin Bairner

• 19 Nov 2022 10:11 CST
• 2 min read

Gabriel Martinelli has revealed that both Manchester United and Barcelona missed out on signing him before he ultimately completed a transfer to Arsenal.

Martinelli is presently starring with the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table, having scored five goals and created two more in 13 appearances in the competition this season.

His career could have been very different, though, had either Man Utd or Barcelona pounced before he completed a €6.7 million 2019 move to Arsenal from Brazilian side Ituano.

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“There was a project with Manchester United, I did some trials there,” he told The Players’ Tribune. “It didn’t work out but I went there four or five times.

“Manchester United had some scouts in Brazil and then they saw me playing. They had a meeting with my father and a trial was arranged.

“There was this time I met Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was there another time, when I was a little older – I think it was the third time I went.

“And that was a project for when I turned 18. If I really wanted to, I would move. I saw that, but when I turned 17, which was the last time I went to Man Utd, I went back to Brazil and they said they didn’t want me, so that was it. I would come home to practise.”

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Barcelona setback

Having been snubbed unexpectedly by Man Utd, he suffered a similar fate at Barcelona.

“I went to La Masia in Barcelona. I practised with Ansu Fati when I went there. We became friends and I stayed there for 15 days,” he said.

"Then it didn't work out either, they didn't want me. But four or five months later Arsenal signed me.”

Martinelli admits that the experience was a character-forming one for him.

“I think it was very important for me, even though I got a no, but it was very important to know how football works here, how things are, so when I joined Arsenal, I was a little more used to it.”

Arsenal have been the big benefactor of Martinelli’s form, with the attacker now worth €24m according to FootballTransfers’ estimation – with his value rising fast.