---
title: "Arsenal set to announce Martinelli deal – but what role will he play?"
canonical: "https://readarsenal.com/2019/06/18/arsenal-set-to-announce-martinelli-deal-but-what-role-will-he-play/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Ryan Darby"
section: "Articles"
published: "2019-06-18T09:22:30Z"
modified: "2019-06-18T09:22:31Z"
---

# Arsenal set to announce Martinelli deal – but what role will he play?

Arsenal are reportedly set to confirm a deal to sign Brazilian youngster Gabriel Martinelli in the coming days, but what role will he play at the club next season, if at all?

[Reports from Globo Esporte claim](https://globoesporte.globo.com/sp/tem-esporte/futebol/noticia/gabriel-martinelli-faz-18-anos-nesta-terca-e-vai-trocar-o-ituano-pelo-arsenal-por-r-30-milhoes.ghtml) that the player is due to complete a £6 million move from Ituano and sign a five-year contract with the Gunners.

It remains unclear about what exactly Arsenal’s plans are for the striker and whether or not he is in their first-team picture next season.

Arsenal will need to manage the striker carefully following his arrival. Moving from Brazil at such a young age will no doubt be a huge step up for the player.

You wouldn’t be surprised to see him stay in the acedemy set-up for most of his first season at the club, with a view to bringing him into the first-team squad much later down the line.

![Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1152222600.jpg)

Unai Emery has never shied away from developing young players, so Arsenal supporters may get a glimpse of him during the early rounds of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup next season.

With Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang still playing such key roles in the starting XI, Martinelli certainly won’t be under any pressure to play a huge part in the first-team squad for some time.

In the aforementioned duo, he has two great mentors ahead of him and if Arsenal can nurture his talents correctly, they could have a future star on their hands.