Kieran Tierney has singled out Gabriel Martinelli for praise at Arsenal.
In the two years since joining the Gunners for £6 million, the Brazilian attacker has established himself as one of the continent’s most exciting young players.
Still only 20, Martinelli was labelled ‘talent of the century’ by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after impressing for Arsenal in a League Cup defeat at Anfield in 2019.
But last season was difficut and he only earned seven Premier League starts under Mikel Arteta, who found himself under huge pressure from the fanbase to start playing him more.
Asked on Twitter about how much a privilege it is to play alongside Martinelli, here’s how Tierney responded:
Striker?
It’ll be interesting to see if Arteta does have a masterplan with Martinelli – who mainly operates out wide – or whether he simply doesn’t rate him too much.
Former Arsenal hitman Kevin Campbell claimed earlier in 2021 that the Spanish coach was grooming him for a number nine role in the long term.
The Gunners aren’t linked with many strikers this summer in spite of the fact they’re going to need at least one, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having turned 32 and Alexandre Lacazette being linked away.
So it’ll be fascinating to see if Arteta could use Martinelli as an alternative centre forward next season and beyond.
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