Arsenal look set to complete the £6m signing of Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano after a long, protracted pursuit.
The Gunners have been tracking Martinelli, who is about to turn 18, for a number of months, and a deal is on the verge of being announced.
Martinelli first burst onto the scouting scene aged 12, having trials at both Barcelona
Martinelli with a fan. pic.twitter.com/tyYdOp5qBD
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However, as reported by Globo Esporte, the north Londoners have won the race to sign the youngster, with a five-year deal at the Emirates Stadium awaiting the teenager.
Born in Guarulhos, a municipality to the north of Sao Paulo, Martinelli joined the Corinthians youth set up from a young age, scoring 73 goals in 139 games all before he was 13. At that point, his family moved to Itu, and he, in turn, moved to play for the more local side of Ituano, where he scored 69 goals in 94 games for various youth sides.
Since graduating to the senior side, he has notched an impressive ten goals and six assists in 31 games. His prospective move to Europe has been made easier by his securing of an Italian passport on a recent holiday, meaning he will not take up an allotted slot for non-EU players.
Despite this, the youngster was still seen training with the Selecao in the build-up to this summer's Copa America, with Brazil clearly desperate to secure his loyalty.
Arsenal will announce the signing of Gabriel Martinelli tomorrow, on his 18th birthday, joining from Ituano in a deal worth £6m, with the Brazilian youngster signing a five-year contract. [Globo Esporte] #afc pic.twitter.com/9SlqMCvszb
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) June 17, 2019
As per Football London
With diminishing funds in comparison to the rest of the top six, Arsenal
Source : 90min