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Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli has spoken to the media regarding why he chose to join Arsenal as opposed to Man Utd, despite the player's former Brazilian club having a partnership with the Old Trafford side. Martinelli has performed well since returning to the North London club after a long-term injury.
Arsenal snapped up the youngster from Brazilian minnows Ituano for a fee of just 4 million USD.
“There was a partnership between Ituano and Manchester United which allowed me to go there every year, for four years, to train with boys my age or older,” Martinelli mentioned to reporters in an interview for FourFourTwo magazine.
“That was nice, because I got a first taste of what English football was like. I met Marouane Fellaini, Patrice Evra and Paul Pogba, and made sure I got a photo with all of them.
“I would come to England, usually in the middle of the year, for about 15 or 20 days.
“It was a great experience, because I could find how European players behaved, how they defend, how they attack, how fast it is in their game.
“I improved a lot and brought it all back with me to Brazil. They (Manchester United) didn’t make an offer, so I returned to Ituano and kept doing my job there."
Written by Ketan Patel
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