Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli could be a man in demand.
Gabriel Martinelli is making a real impact at Arsenal, and it seems that his exploits have attracted the interest of a former Premier League title winner.
The 18-year-old joined Arsenal from Ituano over the summer, making the move from Brazil to North London after being spotted by technical director Edu.
Little was expected of the teenager in his first season, but he’s now hit four goals in two starts, grabbing braces against both Nottingham Forest and Standard Liege.
Martinelli has even made two Premier League appearances, including a 30-minute cameo as a substitute in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth.
Arsenal fans now have high hopes for Martinelli, and they may well see him make a career-changing decision in the coming weeks or months.
Martinelli was born in Brazil and even trained with Tite’s Brazil squad ahead of Copa America, but he also qualifies for Italy through his father.
Now, Italy boss Roberto Mancini – a Premier League winner with Manchester City – has hinted at interest in Martinelli, but noted that it’s not easy to get the switch done, and can be a long wait for players who have two passports, as Martinelli does.
“In the case of Martinelli, it is not so easy,” said Mancini, as quoted by Onefootball. “You have to submit a request and it may take a long time. It is a long wait for these players who have a double passport.”
Arsenal may well prefer that Martinelli chooses Italy, as it would save him from making long trips to South America for international duty, but it remains to be seen what the in-demand teenager decides.
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