Journalist Paul Brown, writing on GiveMeSport, believes the Brazilian was a “steal” for Arsenal and could go on to become a superstar.
Martinelli came off the bench for the Gunners last week to score the winner against Manchester City in the Premier League.
It was the 22-year-old’s first goal of the season and it came on his return to action following a hamstring injury.
Martinelli replaced Leandro Trossard at half-time and, just four minutes before time, grabbed the winner.
His long-range strike deflected off Nathan Ake and into the back of the net to send the home crowd wild.
Martinelli has already clocked up 137 appearances for Arsenal and seven Brazil caps.
‘Really explosive’
At just 22, he has his whole career ahead of him and, better still, the Gunners only paid £6million for him from Ituano back in 2019.
Brown believes Arsenal’s decision to take a chance on the then teenager from a modest Brazilian club has proven to be a masterstroke.
He also feels Martinelli could go on to become a star for the club – if he finds a bit more consistency.
“It looks like a steal, doesn’t it?” He said about the club’s £6million outlay.
“They had to take a chance on him because he was very young at the time.
“Nobody knew whether he’d be ready or he would ever make it as a Premier League footballer, but he has slowly grown and looks really explosive.I think he could go on to be a really top tier talent for Arsenal.
“I’ve been saying for a while that I think he’s had a breakthrough season. I think he just needs to find a bit more consistency.”
Our view
Martinelli already is one of the biggest bargains in recent years for any Premier League team.
With 137 Arsenal appearances, 34 goals and 21 assists under his belt, he’s repaid his £6million outlay manifold.
However, Martinelli is still at the start of his career, and it’ll be exciting to see how he continues to develop at the Emirates.
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