Arsenal now have a strong Brazilian contingent in their ranks with the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Jesus and Marquinhos in Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad.
And another Brazilian they have that has shown how important he is for the team this season is Gabriel Martinelli.
The north London club paid £6m to sign the winger back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Ituano when he was just 18.
While this may have been seen as a risk at the time given his age, Martinelli has since proved to have been a great signing for the club.
With 93 appearances under his belt for the Gunners, the attacker now has 21 goals and 14 assists to his name, with three of those goals coming in the eight Premier League appearances he’s made this season.
This shows just how beneficial it can be for clubs to sign young talents from abroad for relatively small amounts of money.
Looking ahead, the north London club may have the opportunity to replicate a similar sort of transfer masterclass that they pulled off with Martinelli by signing another young player making a name for himself in Brazil.
Recent reports have claimed that the Gunners have an eye on signing Palmeiras midfielder Danilo, who, at the age of 21, has 131 appearances to his name for the Brazilian club, during which he has scored 12 goals and delivered nine assists.
With 24 appearances under his belt for Palmeiras’ latest league season, the midfielder ended up making the second-highest number of successful tackles (33) at the club, highlighting the talent he has.
Taking that into account and the fact that not only do Arsenal have a track record of helping young talents like Martinelli develop, but also the fact that there are so many Brazilian players at the club that could help Danilo settle into the side, securing a deal for him in January could once again see the Gunners complete a very smart move.
