He was just 13 when he first tried it.
As a teenager, the Brazilian traveled to distant England to audition there. Manchester United invited him to a trial. It’s been eight years now.
When Gabriel Martinelli recalls it, he has mixed feelings.
“To be honest, I was shaken,” revealed the now 21-year-old last November in the Player‘s Tribune.
Martinelli fails four times at Manchester United
Because the young Gabriel was turned away by United. Not once, not twice. He showed up in Manchester four times to prove himself. He was always sent back to Brazil.
At 17 he tried one last time. The response from ManUnited was negative again at the time. His father brought him the bitter news in the living room, Martinelli recalls.
Luckily for him, he still managed to find a place in the Premier League in 2019. Arsenal FC obviously saw in him the talent that remained hidden from the Red Devils coaches.
Which brings us to the positive feelings that the failed move to Manchester triggered in him – at least in retrospect.
“Thank God I came to Arsenal”
“Thank God I joined Arsenal in 2019. I truly believe things happen for a reason and I’m so happy here,” he wrote in his Payers-Tribune-Contribution.
Arsenal then paid 6.7 million euros to the Brazilian fourth division club FC Ituano. Since then, its market value has increased nearly 10-fold and is now up, according to data from transfermarkt.de at 60 million euros.
It is not known how often those responsible for United have regretted their decision since then. What is certain, however, is that one of the greatest talents of recent years has slipped through their fingers.
Because with the Gunners, Martinelli is not only happy, but also extremely successful.
It was only on Wednesday that he scored his first brace of the Premier League season for Arsenal in a 4-0 win over Everton.
In the two previous league games he scored once. Overall, he now has eleven goals this season.
He is instrumental in ensuring that Gunners fans can dream of the championship in England again after what feels like an eternity. Arsenal are still first after 25 games – five points ahead of closest rivals Manchester City.
Arsenal’s last championship was 19 years ago
Arsenal celebrated their last Premier League title in 2004. At that time the coach was still called Arsène Wenger and the goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Martinelli was just three years old at the time.
Now he is 21 and has already won his first World Cup alongside superstar Neymar. And not only that: in his homeland he has long been referred to as the legitimate successor to the PSG striker.
Both prefer to come from the left attacking side. This is also why the comparison of the two offensive players is justified. Martinelli was still used as a center forward by then coach Unai Emery in his early days at Arsenal. He played in this position when he was young.
His current coach Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, uses him almost exclusively as a left winger. He scores in both positions. But he is also important for the team for another reason. “He has incredible motivation on the field. He will never lose it. You even have to slow him down sometimes. But he’s in great shape,” Arteta praised him recently.
Martinelli is also so important for him because he recently extended his contract early until 2027 and could thus serve as a role model for other youngsters at the club, such as Bukayo Saka and William Saliba. “We want to keep our best players with us. He totally identifies with what we’re up to as a club,” Arteta said.
At Arsenal, that much is already certain, Martinelli seized an opportunity he never got at Manchester United.
