Arsenal very close to completing a deal to sign teenage Brazilian
It is being reported today that Arsenal is on the verge of completing the signing of Gabriel Martinelli, according to news emanating out of Brazil and cited by the British media.
The Gunners are said to be so confident that the deal will be concluded and that the 17-year-old will be a huge success that they are prepared to set a date for his first team debut.
The teenager was wanted by the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona but it seems that it is us that have won the battle to secure his services.
The transfer fee is said to be £6 Million and he will be revealed to the world when he turns 18 in June.
The only issue appears to be a work permit, however, the youngster is entitled to an Italian passport and that is the way he will subvert the UK work permit regulations.
Martinelli is set to be the first of Unai Emery’s summer signings and the boss is hoping he will be one of many despite a restricted transfer budget of just £45 Million.
The fact that we, Barcelona and Man Utd were all interested in signing the youngster does indicate that he is a talented individual but he cannot be seen as an answer to many of the problems that we currently face.
There is no guarantee he will adapt to the English game and it is difficult to see him being that good that he will make a huge difference for us and cost only £6 Million.
That said, he is certainly welcomed and hopefully, he will repay the faith that Emery is clearly putting in him.
Who cares about another potential signing with potential skills who would potentially be loaned out to a potential tier 2 club to develop his potentials. He will never be ready for our potential top 4-6 team and might potentially go the way of his south american predecessors who all had huge potentials which were never realized. The likes of Denilson, Wellington silva come to mind.
I was watching videos of him and he didnt look sooo good…what do u think guys?
Arsenal should do a complete overhaul of their squad this summer.
Sell Auba(when they still can get good money for him), Ozil, Mikatherian, Xhaka, Mustafi.
Buy a strong, quick and good defender a la Eric Bayli, Sigurdson from Everton who have skills to replace both Ozil and Ramsey, a good winger, a attacking player a la Giroud for a plan B or a starter against special teams and a strong midfielder with good passing and commanding skills.
The funds for overhauling the squad with these sales will be between 130 – 180 mill.
Yaaay a 17 year old academy player who is not even as good as some of the schoolboys who will be joining as scholars this summer. I won’t be putting the champagne on ice just yet or planning to wait excitedly at Heathrow as he arrives.
When will Arsenal ever start showing true ambitions and sign players that will help us compete at the highest level? while the top clubs in England are signing players to help compete, we are here drinking champagne over a 17 years old unproven kid! oh my Arsenal, when will you realize you need to grow up?
The boy “martinelli” is still young and is good for a loan spell in the EPL teams.We need finished products to deliver results.
The decline that Wenger started in the last seasons of his reign is being carried forward by Kroenke who is almost sadistically tying Emery`s hands behind his back by giving him childish financial support. It would be equally childish of a person of my years and experience to say I support a club owned by this man .
You best eff off and go support another team then.
I say give the youngsters a chance, that way they will improve and fulfill their potential quicker. As for finished products, are not Kolscielny, mustafi and Xhaka finished products? If not they should be by now, and how many mistakes do they make.
Mr Emery should promote Arsenal’s best young players. I do not believe keep loaning players out is the answer. How many loaned out players over the past twenty years have returned to be first team regulars. To me it seems more of a death nell for them, or maybe our most talented young players are not as talented as we thought.
6 million is a lot to spend on a youngster for arsenal these days. He’d probably be loaned out multiple times till he goes back home. He could be a future top player but we need players for the now, we’ve seen this all too well, remember wellington silva.