The great Ronaldo Nazario has heaped praise on fellow countryman and Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian international has been in sensational form for Mikel Arteta’s side this season.
So much so that it would be fair to crown the 21-year-old as the best wide forward in the Premier League.
While his tally of 5 league goals and 2 assists may not blow one’s mind, watching him in full flow has been a joy.
One wonders whether there is a box that Martinelli does not tick in his game.
The £6 million man (via GOAL) is one of the most threatening dribblers around, times his runs in behind defences smartly, has pace to burn and is a reliable finisher in front of goal.
In terms of his profile, there aren’t many more complete wingers in Europe than the wonderkid.
The wonderkid is even attracting attention from Europe’s top clubs, with Barcelona claimed to have been keeping tabs on him at the World Cup.
And a certain icon of Brazilian football and the beautiful game is most certainly a fan of his.
Ronaldo Nazario lauds Gabriel Martinelli
The legendary Ronaldo Nazario has showered praise onto Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli in a recent interview.
“He is definitely a great asset, is developing wonderfully at Arsenal and showed his potential in the group stage in Qatar”, he told Apostagolos.
The retired legend continued, “He will certainly stand out at the 2026 World Cup. We are very excited about him.”
“What impresses me the most is that he plays with passion and a lot of self-confidence.”
High praise for Martinelli
For any player, let alone a Brazilian to be complimented by the one and only Ronaldo Nazario is a matter of huge pride.
Alongside Pele, the former Barcelona great may well be the greatest player ever produced by the rich football nation.
The fact that the veteran believes Martinelli is taking the right steps at Arsenal and is likely to perform at the next World Cup is high praise.
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