Gabriel Martinelli has revealed that Manchester United turned down the chance to sign the Arsenal forward as a teenager.
Martinelli joined the London club from Ituano in 2019, but had trials at both Barcelona and Manchester United as a youngster before an eventual move to Europe.
Revealing the extent of his contact with Manchester United in an interview with The Athletic, Martinelli outlined that he had four distinct chances at the club’s Carrington training ground.
However on each occasion the Brazilian failed to convince the club that they should sign him.
“I actually had four different trials at United when I was 13, 14, 15 and 16,” Martinelli revealed. “This was in Manchester at the club’s training base, where I played in the same age group as Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams and I met first-team players, like Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra.
“There was never a moment, though, when they said they wanted me [to sign] there. But it give me a taste and made the adaptation a little easier because I had experienced football in England.
“Even after those trials, I always believed in myself. My mind is always thinking, ‘I can do it’.”
Martinelli has four Premier League goals this season, which is already his best return in the league since arriving at the Emirates Stadium.
