Piers Morgan has admitted he fears Liverpool may look to poach Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli as Jurgen Klopp heaped further praised on the forward.
The Reds claimed a crucial 2-0 win over the Gunners at the Emirates on Wednesday night to move within a point of Premier League leaders Manchester City. Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino grabbed the goals as Klopp's side took advantage of City's surprise Selhurst Park slip-up to Crystal Palace 48 hours earlier.
While Liverpool extended their winning streak to nine Premier League matches, Arsenal saw a run of five successive victories ground to a halt as their hopes of a top-four finish suffered a setback. However, there were positives for Mikel Arteta on the night and none more so than the performance of Martinelli.
The young Brazilian attacker once again impressed as he terrorised Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold at times. The standout display saw Martinelli draw high praise from fans and pundits alike, as well as from visiting manager Klopp.
"Martinelli is such a talented boy," the German declared after the match. "It’s really tricky, if anybody says Trent can’t defend, they should come to me I’ll knock them down." It wasn't the first time the Liverpool manager has expressed his admiration for Arsenal's rising star either.
Following a thrilling 5-5 Carabao Cup clash back in 2019, in which Martinelli grabbed a brace, Klopp described the forward as the “talent of the century”. Days later, he then labelled the winger "really unbelievable" before going on to laud Arsenal's technical director Edu for plucking him from Brazil.
Do you think Gabriel Martinelli will play for Liverpool one day? Have your say in the comments section
More recently, Klopp lavished further praise on the 20-year-old after the Reds beat Arsenal in the second-leg of this season's Carabao Cup semi-final. The Liverpool boss exclaimed: "Martinelli by the way…everybody should remember that name. Outstanding player."
Given Klopp has waxed-lyrical about the Arsenal forward on multiple occasions, many have speculated that the German could one day make a move for the youngster and look to bring him to Anfield. That's certainty a fear harboured by Morgan
Following Martinelli's impressive showing on Wednesday, the TV personality and avid Gooner said: “On a solitary positive note, Gabriel Martinelli was brilliant. Just hope he wasn’t so brilliant that Klopp nicks him.”
The Liverpool manager currently has numerous attacking options at his disposal, having added Luis Diaz to a forward line which already included Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, in addition to Jota and Firmino. However, with questions marks currently surrounding the futures of a number of those names, a move for Martinelli in the near future isn't totally out of the equation.
The Arsenal striker himself has previously admitted he has been flattered by Klopp's comments, telling Marca : "I feel very proud that one of the best tacticians in the world speaks well of me. Now I have to remain firm, focused and continue working to achieve greater things."
Despite the defeat, Arteta's side remain favourites to secure a top-four Premier League finish and a subsequent return to Champions League football next season. The Gunners remain a point ahead of Manchester United having played two games fewer, though North London rivals Tottenham reignite their top-four hopes on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Brighton.
Pick up your Daily Mirror every day of the Cheltenham Festival for a FREE £2 shop bet with William Hill which can be used on any of the sporting action! 18 + Terms apply. See tomorrow's paper for your voucher.
