Arsenal have agreed on a deal to sign Ituano forward Gabriel Martinelli, according to reports in Brazil. The Gunners have been keeping tabs on the 17-year-old’s progress and scouts have been providing detailed reports for several months. Martinelli had a trial with Manchester United in 2017, while he has also been linked with a move to Barcelona.
But according to UOL, Arsenal have now reached an agreement to sign Martinelli and the forward will make the move to the Gunners once he turns 18 in June. Several Brazilian teams were also in the running including Flamengo, Cruzeiro and Santos, but Martinelli opted to make the move to the Premier League after extensive talks.
UOL also report that Martinelli’s agents also offered him to Arsenal’s Premier League rivals but no club came forward with a proposal. Ituano also attempted to put up a fight to keep a portion of Martinelli’s economic rights but Arsenal refused. Martinelli, who made his professional debut last year and is capable of playing on either flank, scored six goals for Ituano in the Campeonato Paulista earlier last year.
Check out his skills and goals in the video below..
Will he be a success under Unai Emery? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below..