Barcelona are eyeing a move for Arsenal star following his impressive performances at the Brazil .
The 21-year-old was a surprise inclusion in Tite’s 26-man squad and although he has been restricted to cameo appearances, he has done enough to catch the eye of the Catalan giants.
Martinelli joined the Gunners as a total unknown from Ituano in the summer of 2019 having been spotted by Arsenal’s renowned former talent spotter Francis Cagigao.
The versatile forward made an instant impact during his first season with the club but a serious knee injury, the uncertainty caused by the Covid pandemic and a change of management, with Mikel Arteta replacing , stunted this progress.
After an encouraging and crucially injury-free pre-season, however, Martinelli has cemented his place in a dynamic new-look side which has risen to the top of the Premier League with 10 wins from 12 games so far.
Martinelli’s performances have attracted admiring glances from elsewhere, according to Sport, and with his contract winding down his future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks.
The players insists, however, that he is ready to put pen to paper and has no intention of leaving the club that gave him his big break as a teenager.
Speaking last month, he said: ‘When I knew that Arsenal wanted to buy me… it was one of the happiest days of my life.
‘I’m very happy at Arsenal. I said it many times. This is my club. I love to be here, I love the city, the club, everything about Arsenal. I want to stay. I’m very happy, They just need a pen.
‘When I knew that Arsenal wanted to buy me… it was one of the happiest days of my life.
‘I really don’t care. I want to stay. I want to score in the next game and do well and help my team win.’
