Gabriel Martinelli has revealed he had four trials with Manchester United as a teenager before securing a deal with Arsenal.
The Brazilian has become a first-team regular under Mikel Arteta and has been widely praised by a number of Premier League managers for his stellar showings, with Jurgen Klopp just one of the bosses to laud his displays.
Martinelli signed for Arsenal in 2019 having caught the eye at Brazilian outfit Ituano, but he's now revealed he had four trials with United before making the switch to north London and even met some of United's biggest stars.
"My agent said we need to take a decision [on my future]. When he said Arsenal, I said, 'okay, you do not need to say anything else, we are going to London'," Martinelli told The Athletic when asked about his move to England.
"My dad and I had watched the Premier League together, all the teams, like Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Leicester.
"I actually had four different trials at United when I was 13, 14, 15 and 16.
"This was in Manchester at the club’s training base... 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 there. But it gave 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'."
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