Arteta says ‘anxious’ Arsenal player is so desperate it could ‘block his development’

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told Sky Sports that Gabriel Martinelli is too desperate to play for his own good.

Arteta has said that the 19-year-old Arsenal forward is always keen on playing, and has said that it could affect his development adversely.

The Spaniard has also suggested that the Brazilian forward needs to be more mature and understand when he has to be on the substitutes’ bench to allow his teammates to play.

Arteta told Sky Sports about Martinelli: “He came back in and he had an impact but there were still a lot of things that we had to work on with him. He needs time. He is so willing and so anxious that it can block his development sometimes as well.

“Sometimes he won’t understand my decisions but the only reason I make those decisions is to help him, so that when he gets the chance to sprint, he can sprint, and when he falls, he goes again. I want a long run with him, not just a short one, and he’s in a better place now.”

The Spaniard added: “There are a few things that have to be better and one of those is to manage when he doesn’t play because this is part of your career, this is part of being at a top club and being a young player.

“You have to know how to suffer when you are on the bench and you are not selected and somebody else is playing. You have to be able to swallow that, all your ego and your anger, all your willingness to play the game, while also living in a different country. That’s a big test and he’s gone through that as well.”

Managing Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli is a very highly rated player who has impressed Arsenal legend Martin Keown among others.

It seems that Arsenal manager Arteta wants to manage the youngster carefully and does not want to add undue pressure on him.

The teenager returned from a long-term injury this season, and it does make sense for Arteta to be careful with him.

While it is very encouraging that the Brazilian wants to play all the time, it is important that he understands that he is only 19, and that there are other and better players ahead of him in the pecking order.