Spotlight: Gabriel Martinelli - A Story like None Other 🇧🇷
Putting aside my usual scheduled programming for this one. I want to tell the story of one of my favourite players. A player I’ll never give up on — no matter how poor the form, no matter how loud the Twitter bashers get.
This piece has been in the works for a long time. I’ve drafted it, scrapped it, rewritten bits and pieces… but now it’s finally here. You’re about to dive into the full story of Gabriel Martinelli. A story like no other.
From Ituano to the Emirates. From futsal courts to Champions League nights. This is the story of Gabriel Martinelli. One of our own, even if his passport says Brazilian.
This piece took 20 hours. But it was worth it! Like what you see? Drop a like and hit follow <3.
I’ve been an Arsenal fan for about two decades now. It’s all I’ve ever known as far back as I could remember, since the days I first spoke English and started flipping to the back pages to check on Wenger’s Arsenal. (And yes, for my curious readers, I’m in my 20s).
I’ve seen plenty of players walk down the famous tunnels of Highbury and the Emirates. We’ve always had a soft spot for our English lads — especially the Hale End boys. But when it comes to the foreign stars, it’s a bit different. Not many have truly captured the hearts of Arsenal fans since the Invincibles. You could count them on one hand. In the modern era, we had our Spanish magician Santi Cazorla. Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey, Mo Elneny (maybe)?
But almost every other story ends with heartbreak. Either they snaked it to rivals — RVP (🐍), Cesc, Alexis… the list writes itself. Or their time just fizzled out with sour endings — Aubameyang, Emi Martínez, Özil, Koscielny. Not exactly the fairy tale endings you’d hope for. A by-product of that disastrous era of decay.
You get the picture. We don’t just stumble onto cult heroes every day. So how did Martinelli get here? And why has he connected with us in a way so few players do?
The Kid from Guarulhos
Image: Gabriel Martinelli as a child. Image credits: The New York Times.
Gabriel Teodoro Martinelli Silva was born in 2001 in Guarulhos, a state on the outskirts of São Paulo. Not exactly the birthplace of football royalty, but in Brazil where 68% are football fans, football finds you whether you want it to or not.
His parents, João and Elizabete, gave him roots that went beyond Brazil. Brazilian flair on one side, Italian grit from his dad on the other. Put them together, and maybe that’s the mix that made Martinelli the player we all know and love today.
From a young age, Gabriel’s dad wasn’t just a parent — he was a dreamer like many Brazilian parents who dreamt of a better life for their kids. João had his mind made up when Martinelli was just 6: he wanted his son to be a footballer. Just read this short snippet from The Athletic:
You can’t fully grasp Martinelli’s story without knowing about the court. Between the ages of three and six, he spent hundreds of hours here. He would come with friends but mainly with his father, Joao Carlos. Together, they practised shooting, passing, heading, first touch.
After getting to grips with the basics, Martinelli would work on his weaker foot. Bang, bang, bang, shot after shot after shot. He never complained, but it was a lot for a young kid. Sometimes, by the end of the session, there would be tears hiding in the corners of his eyes.
This was the first stage in what came to be known as ‘the project’ — a sequence of steps designed to make a top-level footballer of Martinelli. For Martinelli Sr, who had to get up at 5am for his job as a toolmaker, those late nights were not just a commitment; they were an investment.
“God-given ability is not enough,” says Martinelli Sr. “You have to train, do the work. Gabriel understood that at an early age. He had discipline and he listened. He must have thought I was a son of a b***h sometimes, but he never moaned. Never one word in frustration.”
Image: The court where a young Martinelli would play. Image Source: The Athletic
When Martinelli was nine, he joined the Corinthians futsal academy, playing as a central midfielder. The talent was obvious, but life wasn’t straightforward. While other Brazilian kids his age were already shining in youth tournaments, U20 World Cups, or even breaking into senior squads, Martinelli’s path was very different.
Family circumstances meant football couldn’t always come first. By the time he was ten, he was already selling ice lollies on the street just so his parents could put a little rice and beans on the table. It wasn’t the glamorous rise you hear about with Brazilian wonderkids. It was survival, and football was his escape.
Image: Martinelli at Corinthians. Image Source: The Athletic
Leandro Germano, Martinelli's coach at school said: “He was always a dribbler,” says Germano. “He liked to go at his man, one on one, but he wasn’t the kind of player who dribbled for the sake of it.”
And if you’ve ever watched him on the ball, you can tell — the close control, the tight dribbling, the way he moves in small spaces. That futsal DNA is stamped all over his game. But unlike the Neymar types who get wrapped in cotton wool and pampered through the system, Martinelli took the hard road.
For anyone looking to read more, I recommend this article here from The Athletic.
Ituano
Image: Ituano smoking Santos 5-1 . Image Source: Ituano.
Ituano Futebol Clube. A semi-pro club perennially in São Paulo’s 3rd / 4th division — and I say that with all due respect, but to call them professional is a stretch. Before Martinelli, nobody had heard of this small club nestled in Sao Paolo.
This wasn’t Atlético Mineiro, Botafogo, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fluminense, Grêmio, Internacional, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo, or Vasco da Gama with their TV money, revenue and youth training facilities. Ituano was barebones. A couple hundred fans in the stands if you’re lucky, pitches that looked like a cow field at times, and no glamour in sight.
But for Martinelli, this was the proving ground. It was here, at a club barely on the map, that he started making noise. Playing in the Campeonato Paulista, scoring goals as a skinny teenager against men who’d been grinding in the league for a decade.
Martinelli balled out. 6 goals in 14 games for a fourth tier Ituano side in the Campeonato Paulista, going toe-to-toe with the country’s heavyweights.. Ituano were punching way above their weight, always the underdog, always up against it… and yet Martinelli kept showing up.
Image: Martinelli on trial at Manchester United.
Big clubs sniffed around. He had trials at Barcelona. Yes, Barcelona — the same club that churns out La Masia graduates like they’re on a production line. He even trialed at Mourinho's Manchester United, where this famous photo with Paul Pogba at Carrington was taken.
Now this really was a sliding doors moment for Martinelli. Imagine if he’d ended up at that dreadful Manchester United side back then… would he even have developed into half the player he is today?
But alas, nothing came of it.
They passed. Thank you, next. Ariana Grande called and left.
Arsenal
Image: Martinelli signs for Arsenal. Image Source: Arsenal
You know those moments in life when, no matter how rough it gets, things eventually fall into place?
Sometimes you get chewed up by the system. Sometimes you watch your peers rise, move into better situations, while you’re stuck grinding in obscurity. Sometimes the doubts creep in, and faith feels like it’s slipping away.
But the strongest ones? They wait. They keep pushing until destiny finally taps them on the shoulder. For Martinelli, destiny came in 2019 when Arsenal picked up the phone.
And I’ll be honest — when we signed Martinelli, I didn’t get it at all.
We were screaming out for a proper reset, a refresh to an ageing and overpaid squad that had completely lost its spark. Instead, we had an out-of-favour Mesut Özil sitting on the sidelines, Nicolas Pepe struggling to justify his price tag, and that circus of defenders — David Luiz, Mustafi, Kolasinac. Add Mkhitaryan, Sokratis, and Ceballos on loan to the mix, and it felt like a patch-up job more than a plan.
So when a teenager from Ituano turned up, my first thought was: What the hell are we even doing?
And don’t forget — the transfer fee was about £6 million. Pocket change in Premier League terms, sure, but still a record fee for someone coming out of the Brazilian Série D. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Why were we splashing that on a kid who looked so raw, skinny, clean-shaven, and straight out of the academy ranks, when our squad was creaking and crying out for proven quality?
It felt like the most Arsenal thing ever — shopping in the bargain bin while everyone else was splashing for superstars. Around the same time, Real Madrid were dropping €45m each on Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior. Lucas Paquetá was off to AC Milan for €35m. Arthur Melo had his flashy €31m move to Barcelona. And here we were… unveiling a skinny teenager from Ituano for £6m.
Image: Martinelli scores on his Arsenal Debut. Image Source: TeamTalk
Martinelli came in as a complete unknown — a total gamble plucked from obscurity. But Edu Gaspar, with his deep Brazilian network, was the one who vouched for him. And boy, did Martinelli waste no time justifying it. He scored in his very first pre-season game. Bagged a brace in that chaotic 5–5 against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. Another brace in his first competitive start against Nottingham Forest. By October, he was already Arsenal’s Player of the Month.
And this wasn’t during a stable period either. The club was in turmoil. Emery was floundering, eventually sacked. Freddie Ljungberg came in as caretaker. Then Arteta arrived in December to take charge.
Martinelli wrapped up his debut season with 10 goals in 26 appearances — not just numbers, but impact. He ended up as Arsenal’s third-highest scorer across all competitions that year. For a kid plucked out of Brazil’s lower leagues, signed for what was essentially pocket change, that return was nothing short of outrageous.
The Story so Far
Image: Martinelli scores against Chelsea. Image Source: Arsenal
Martinelli has always split opinions in the fanbase. The skeptics are loud — “he’s not Brazilian,” “he just runs down blind alleys,” “he dribbles with his head down and never looks up.”
I get it. I’ve heard all of it. But here’s the truth: Martinelli is clutch. He’s a moments player. And when those big moments come, he delivers them in Arsenal red.
Remember that solo goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2020? N’Golo Kanté slipping, Martinelli sprinting half the length of the pitch, finishing coolly in front of the away end. That was his arrival. A teenager, fearless, delivering in a London derby. You couldn’t write it better.
Image: Martinelli scores the only goal against City. Image Source: BBC
Or how about that goal — the one that sealed our first league win over Guardiola’s City under Mikel? Off the bench, Ederson off his line, and bang. Goal. Ice cold. Clutch.
But his journey hasn’t been smooth. Injuries hit him hard, especially that knee surgery in 2020. For months, we feared the worst. We’ve seen young talents derailed at Arsenal before. But Martinelli? He fought back. Relentless recovery, never sulking, always hungry.
Arteta himself admitted he had to hold him back — “Gabi would play every minute if I let him.” That says it all. He’s the player who sprints in the 90th minute like it’s the first, who presses defenders like his life depends on it, who celebrates every goal as if he’s one of us in the North Bank.
Image: Martinelli signs his new long term contract. Image Source: Arsenal
And the best part about Martinelli?
He wants to be here. From day one, he’s made that clear. The minute the club slid that contract across the table, he signed it without blinking. No drama, no saga, no “will he, won’t he.” Bayern came sniffing. Barcelona rumors floated. Didn’t matter. Martinelli’s heart was already at Arsenal. Always was.
And now? He’s one of the names we think of when we picture Arsenal’s future. Alongside Saka, Saliba, Ødegaard — Martinelli is the project. He’s not just Brazilian anymore; he’s Arsenal through and through.
So when people ask me why I back him no matter what — even during a bad run of form — this is why. He’s ours. He’s a kid that came from nothing, rejected by the so-called giants, yet is building his story in red and white. He might be São Paulo by birth, but at this point he’s basically Islington made.
So next time someone talks about selling him, remember: this kid stood by us in our darkest hours. Sure, he might not become the next Neymar, but football isn’t just about flash: it’s about impact. Who cares if he doesn’t have the Joga Bonito in him? You need spark plugs off the bench, characters who lift the team when it matters, players with the mentalidad (as Arteta would say) to push through.
Martinelli never sulks like Bruno Fernandes, never skips a training session like Harry Kane did to push a for a move. He comes on and gives everything every single time. No matter how many times Arteta benches him, Martinelli is always there: on the touchline, in training, ready to give everything the moment he steps onto the pitch.
And for that, Martinelli has my full support. He’s one of us—the Brazilian Hale Ender. Let’s go lift that league.
COYG.
p.s. This is my favourite article of Martinelli out there. Do take a peek if you're interested.
Authors NoteThis post is dedicated to the numero uno Martinelli fan out there @laminedean :) Thank you everyone as always for all your support. If there’s another player you’d like me to cover, drop it in the comments or send in a question!