Paul Merson has tipped Gabriel Martinelli to explode at Arsenal soon, predicting that he’s a genuine ‘superstar in the making’.
For all the talk of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, the Gunners have another young gem in the form of Martinelli.
He joined Arsenal for a bargain £6 million in 2019 and appears to be constantly progressing under Mikel Arteta.
Last week, he demonstrated his potential by giving Wesley Fofana – an £80 million defender – the run-around when Leicester City visited the Emirates Stadium.
This is somebody who Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp labelled a ‘talent of the century’ previously.
And Merson, speaking to Sportskeeda, believes the 20-year-old attacker is only going to get ridiculously better.
He said: “Gabriel Martinelli is a very good footballer, I just hope the kid can stay fit and get a run of games under his belt. He’s an unreal outlet and has got great pace and skill, while he has also shown that he can score this season. If he can stay injury free, I genuinely believe he’s a superstar in the making!”
Last week, HITC Sport wrote about how Martinelli can emulate Thierry Henry in North London.
Of course, there’s a very long way to go before he’s remotely close to being as influential as Henry, but the South American youngster has the same electricity about him in attack as the iconic Frenchman had and it’ll be fascinating to see if Merson is right, about him becoming a ‘superstar’ in the near future.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
