Tricky winger Gabriel Martinelli signed for Arsenal at the age of 18 and has shown signs that he has all the credentials to make it as a top class player at domestic and international levels.

Having won the FA Cup in his first season in England with Arsenal, Martinelli was also a part of the Brazil squad that collected gold medals at the 2020 Olympics.

There was huge media attention on Martinelli from a young age, and despite it being early in his career he has shown the potential to play an important role in Brazil's national team.

Debut as a 16-year-old

Gabriel Martinelli began his footballing career as many famous Brazilians in the past have, by playing futsal. He moved to Ituano, a Sao Paulo club, in 2015. Two years later he signed a five-year deal at the club and had trials at Manchester United and Barcelona.

In March 2018, he made his first team debut and became the club's youngest player this century at the age of 16 and nine months. He had to wait until September to score his first professional goal, which came in a 4-1 win against Sao Bento.

In the 2019 Campeonato Paulista season, he scored six goals to become the club's top scorer in the competition.

Arsenal win the battle

After making a name for himself at Ituano, Martinelli was chased by a plethora of clubs across Europe but opted to join Arsenal for around £6million in July 2019. His Italian passport smoothing the long process usually associated with young South American players moving to Europe.

He made his Premier League debut in the 2019/20 season against Newcastle United and a month later he scored his first goals for the club - a brace in a 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup.

During his first season at the Emirates, the winger accumulated 26 appearances with a return of 10 goals and four assists, with injuries hampering his number of games played. The first teenager since Nicolas Anelka to reach double figures for the Gunners in a season.

His talent was undoubtedly impressive, and he earned the club's Player of the Month award in October and his goal against Chelsea in a 2-2 draw earned the fans vote for Arsenal's Goal of the Season.

In the summer 2020 he signed a new long-term contract but was ruled out of action until December with a knee injury.

Martinelli continued to improve the following season scoring six goals and claiming six assists in 29 Premier League appearances. His first of the season, a volley with his second touch of the match against Newcastle, was voted Arsenal fans' third favourite goal of the season.

Brazil boy

Martinelli was born in Brazil, but eligible for Italy through his father and he holds passports for both countries.

He made his debut for Brazil's Under 23 team in November 2019, scoring his first goal in a 12 minute cameo against UAE Under-23's in 2021.

The winger was a part of the national team that claimed Olympic glory, defeating Spain in the final after extra-time. In the semi-final, Martinelli scored in the penalty shootout against Mexico following a 0-0 draw, which helped Brazil reach the final.

He made his full international debut as a substitute in Brazil's 4-0 win over Chile in a World Cup qualifier in March 2022.

Martinelli's personal life

Martinelli's net worth