Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli is 25 years old in 2026, born on 18 June 2001. Brazil Midfielder for Arsenal.
| Appearances | 30 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Yellow Cards | 3 |
| Red Cards | — |
| Goals / Match | 0.03 |
📖 Gabriel Martinelli: Biography & Story
The boy from a tiny Brazilian club who became one of Arsenal's most important players.
Gabriel Martinelli's story is one of football's most improbable success tales. Signed from a seventh-tier Brazilian club for £6 million at 17, he arrived at Arsenal barely speaking English, unknown outside of a small circle of Brazilian football enthusiasts, and immediately began to catch people's attention. In his first pre-season, he scored in almost every friendly match.
His first senior season was derailed by an ankle injury that cost him most of 2020/21, followed by COVID-related disruptions. But when he truly established himself in 2021/22 and then 2022/23, the transformation was complete. He became one of the Premier League's most dynamic left-wing forwards, combining electric pace, directness, excellent finishing and a genuine tenacity that reminds Brazilian fans of their best pacey forwards of previous generations.
At Arsenal, his partnership with Saka on the right side has given the team extraordinary balance: the left foot on the right, the right foot on the left, both able to cut inside and both willing to hold the width. His work rate off the ball, the pressing, the tracking back, also makes him Arteta's kind of player.
🗺️ Career Journey
Seventh-tier Brazilian club; spotted by Arsenal scouts at 17
£6m bargain signing; established EPL starter from 2021/22 onwards
🏆 Honours & Achievements
👨👩👦 Personal Life & Family
Gabriel Martinelli de Silva was born on 18 June 2001 in Guarulhos, a city in the São Paulo metropolitan area. He played for Ituano FC, a club in the seventh tier of Brazilian football, as a teenager. Arsenal's scouts discovered him at 17 through a combination of video analysis and recommendations from Brazilian football contacts. The £6 million fee paid to Ituano in 2019 was extraordinary, both for the amount paid to such a small club and for the extraordinary value it has since delivered.
Martinelli's father Jorge Martinelli has been a central figure in his career. The family moved from Guarulhos to support Gabriel's move to London in 2019, with his parents making significant sacrifices. He was in a relationship with Gabriela Gomes, a Brazilian social media influencer, for several years. He has spoken warmly about the Brazilian community in London, which gave him support and comfort in a new country during his early adaptation.
💡 Did You Know?: Gabriel Trivia
Arsenal paid £6 million for him from Ituano FC: a seventh-tier Brazilian club. The fee is now considered one of the greatest bargains in Premier League history.
He scored 10 goals in 26 appearances in his first Arsenal season before injury struck: an extraordinary return for a 17-year-old from outside the top divisions of Brazil.
His most memorable single performance came against Chelsea in January 2023, when he scored and assisted in a 3-1 win that helped signal Arsenal's title credentials.
He speaks Portuguese, Spanish and English, and has become a cultural bridge between Arsenal's many South American players.
His father Jorge came to London to help him settle during his first year, making a temporary sacrifice that Martinelli has said changed everything about his adjustment.
Gabriel Martinelli has 1 goal and 4 assists this season. A solid Fantasy XI pick from Arsenal.
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