Arsenal youngster Gabriel Martinelli wanted to be involved with Brazil Under-23 squad in a Pre-Olympic tournament but the Gunners refused to release the player as the competition doesn’t fall within FIFA requirements. The Gunners signed the 18-year-old from Brazilian side Ituano last summer for a fee of around £6million. Martinelli has had a fantastic debut season for Arsenal and already has 10 goals and four assists in just 23 appearances for the club. However, the youngster has yet to declare which nation he will be eligible to play for with his current options being either Brazil or Italy. Both nations are admirers of Martinelli and Brazil had hoped they could persuade him to wear the green and yellow kit by including him in the Under-23 squad for their pre-Olympic tournament.

Source: Express February 04, 2020 06:45 UTC