Arsenal starlet Gabriel Martinelli has sent his words of encouragement to new signing Marquinhos.
On his instagram, the new Gunners no.11 reacted to the new signing with love and support, writing “Welcome brother. We’re together” to his 1.3 million followers.
The former Ituano man will understand more than most the journey Marquinhos is about to undertake. Joining from the fourth tier of Brazilian football as a diminutive 18-year-old, Martinelli stared the frightening prospect dead in the eyes, with a hunger and desire synonymous with young Brazilian talent making the journey to Europe.
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Since gracing the Emirates turf, Martinelli’s career has gone from strength to strength, with 31 goal contributions since he joined the club, all the more impressive when you consider he missed a prolonged period through a knee injury, which caused the young man substantial distress.
“I went to the club for the examinations and they said it was not good and I would need surgery. It broke me. I cried a lot.”
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The 20-year-old has undergone hardship in his time at London Colney, and will be hoping his new Brazilian compatriot’s journey will be smoother sailing.
Marquinhos is expected to link up with the club for pre-season, where the coaching staff will get a closer insight into the talent of the 19-year-old, before deciding whether a loan move is the best for the winger in the infancy of his career.
The £3 million man joins a growing Brazilian contingent at Arsenal, with Gabriel and Martinelli both fixtures of the first team, and intense speculation linking Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus to the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s first signing of the summer continues project youth, with the next steps taken expected to be experienced players heading into the prime of their careers, the kind of players to guide Marquinhos through the early stages of his life in Europe.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Arsenal, Brazil, Gabriel Martinelli, Transfers