Liverpool target Gabriel Martinelli – REPORTS

Liverpool are reportedly monitoring Arsenal youngster Gabriel Martinelli.

It is claimed that the 18-year-old Brazilian forward is continuing to impress Liverpool and that the recruitment team are considering making a summer move for him.

Despite having only made 12 starts for the Gunners, he’s already netted 10 times and it’s that kind of form that’s grabbing the attention of observers.

Martinelli, who also holds an Italian passport, is tipped to be handed improved terms following reported interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid. It is claimed that he’s currently on £10,000-a-week and that Arsenal are willing to treble that.

Arsenal signed him for £6.3million in July 2019 from Brazilian outfit Ituano in the Sao Paulo regional league. His valuation has now has rocketed as high as £50million, should you choose to believe that’s what Real Madrid would be willing to hand over to secure his signature.

Martinello has started Arsenal’s last two games due to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s suspension. He scored against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday and that’s probably why you’re seeing these fresh reports doing the rounds today.

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Fallen Premier League giants Manchester United missed out on the chance to sign him for next to nothing. They were first alerted to him in 2015 and after handing him a trial, they opted not to take things further which just about sums them up these days. Subsequently, he ended up at Arsenal.

Today’s reports are very speculative and there’s nothing credible at all that suggests we would be willing to shell out £50million or any other figure plucked out of thin air, to make a deal happen.

Under contract until 2024, there’s no way in a million years that Arsenal will just roll over and let him go. As much as we can see why Liverpool would be looking on, we’re not convinced that we’re going to step up to the table with an offer, based on the current chatter coming out of Anfield in relation to our summer targets and a bit of common sense.

However, Jürgen Klopp is a confirmed admirer. Martinelli scored twice in the 5-5 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal in the League Cup back in October and following that game, the Liverpool manager said: “He’s a talent of the century, he’s an incredible striker.

“He’s 18 years old, right? So our scouting department is all over the world and stuff like this, but I think Edu (Arsenal technical director) gets all the credit for that signing.

“He’s really unbelievable. So young, looks so mature already, he’s a proper threat. Yeah, he looks like a really decent player.

“I just really like good football players and obviously he’s a very good one.”

It’s worth noting that the original source of these claims linking Liverpool with Martinelli actually called him Bruno Martinelli (as did The Liverpool Echo when they cited the report), just in case you hear that name mentioned today.

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