Gabriel Martinelli has signed a long-term contract with Arsenal as Jurgen Klopp's prediction on the attacker is beginning to ring true.
The Liverpool manager has previously raved about the 21-year-old throughout his early career after bursting on the scene as an 18-year-old under Unai Emery.
He scored twice for the Gunners during their enthralling 5-5 Carabao Cup draw with the Reds in 2019 - which saw the nine-time winners run out victors on penalties.
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Speaking after the game, Klopp said: "Martinelli’s pretty much the same age but he’s a talent of the century, he’s an incredible striker, so it’s really difficult.
"He's really unbelievable," he added. "So young, looks so mature already, is a proper threat. Yeah, he looks like a really decent player.
"I didn't want to put any backpack [pressure] on his back with this thing but I just really like good football players and obviously he's a very good one."
The praise from the successful Liverpool manager hasn't stopped there. "[Gabriel] Martinelli, very early on I was excited about him. He’s become exactly the player I expected. He deserves everything coming his way," he said three years on from his initial praise.
Martinelli has since gone on to make 111 appearances for the north London side scoring 25 goals with the current campaign being his best output since arriving from Ituano in July 2019.
His seven goals and two assists have helped Mikel Arteta's side to the Premier League summit as they have a five-point cushion going into matchday 20. Should the Spanish head coach come back to haunt his former club, Everton, on Saturday he could extend the gap to eight points.
And on the eve of their trip to Merseyside, Martinelli has penned a long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium - reportedly keeping him in the capital until at least 2027.
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