Former Manchester United midfielder Jose Kleberson has described Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli as the “most important” attacker to the Gunners right now. It comes as the 20-year-old continues to impress in the first-team.
Martinelli’s performances have even earned him a call-up to the Brazil senior men’s squad for the March international break, where he could be handed his debut. His nine goal involvements across all competitions has seen him make the left-wing position his own, with manager Mikel Arteta lauding his form.
Discussing the forward back in December, Arteta said to Sky Sports : “He [Martinelli] trains incredibly hard, he is always willing to do more and he is not scared or afraid to take risks - and that is what I like about him.
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"You cannot play every action at 100mph, it is impossible. It is not very efficient for you because you burn yourself out after a few minutes, and then you're just chasing a situation and not reading exactly what is needed.
"Gabi is doing much better at that. We have to try to do that without losing the passion, the energy and this capacity he has to just affect the game with the way he acts on the pitch."
That progression has seen the Brazilian become a near guaranteed starter on the team sheet each week, with his recent performance against Liverpool continuing the praise. His ability to cause problems for Trent Alexander-Arnold only highlighted his ability and potential further.
In light of his performances, former midfielder Kleberson has lauded Martinelli as the most important Arsenal attacker right now. Discussing the youngster with Paddy Power, he said: “Gabriel Martinelli is Arsenal’s most important attacker right now. He could replicate some Arsenal legends. The way he plays reminds me of when Arsene Wenger was the coach and they had loads of young, talented players.
“He’s growing in confidence and is becoming more powerful. He’s an important player for Arsenal right now. Without him, it’s going to be hard for Arsenal to continue playing at this level. He positions himself so well and he’s a nightmare for the defenders.”
Arteta and Martinelli will certainly be hoping his upwards trajectory in a Gunners shirt can continue, along with a number of other bright prospects at the club. Whether he takes the chance remains to be seen, but there’s plenty to be excited about if he can.
