Arsenal starlet Gabriel Martinelli has revealed that left-back Nuno Tavares is the fastest player at the club.
Martinelli has enjoyed a solid campaign with the Gunners, netting five goals and providing a further five assists in just 19 Premier League starts. The talented winger's form hasn't gone unnoticed by Brazil manager Tite, who handed the youngster his senior debut for the Selecao earlier this year.
Now, the 20-year-old has been discussing who the quickest player at the club is, claiming that Portuguese fullback Tavares is even faster than himself. "Yeah, I am (quick) but it's not me," he told the Premier League's YouTube channel when asked if he was the quickest player in Mikel Arteta's squad.
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"I think it's Nuno. Nuno is really quick."
Tavares joined the north Londoners from Benfica last summer, signing for a reported £6million. Despite an impressive start to his Arsenal career, the athletic defender has struggled in recent weeks, looking erratic defensively before eventually being dropped for Sunday's 2-1 victory against Leeds United.
Arsenal have since been linked with a move for Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey, with Corriere de Bologna recent reporting that technical director Edu is keen on a move for the £17million-rated Hickey to replace the 'disappointing' Tavares. The 22-year-old will hope to prove his critics wrong if he is handed a start against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening.
The Gunners currently sit four points above their local rivals and a win would secure them a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League - a competition they have failed to qualify for in each of the last five seasons.
