ARSENAL are ready to treble Gabriel Martinelli’s wages to ward off Real Madrid, according to reports.
The 18-year-old Brazilian is highly rated by Los Blancos but the Gunners want to move to hold on to their man.
Martinelli scored a remarkable breakaway goal during the ten-man North Londoners’ heroic double comeback at Chelsea on Tuesday.
And Emirates big wigs realise they need to act in order to tie their man down.
As a result, they will up Martinelli’s earnings from 10k-a-week to around 30k-a-week, according to the Mail.
With his team down to ten men and 1-0 down on Tuesday, the young forward broke from deep inside his own half, capitalised on an unfortunate Steven Gerrard-esque slip from N’Golo Kante before slotting past Kepa to make it 1-1.
The strike made him the first teenager since Nicolas Anelka to get ten Arsenal goals in a season – a feat the Frenchman achieved in 1998/99.
And the Brazilian is already outscoringAlexandreLacazetteandNicolasPepe who cost a combined 125million.
Club insiders are already talking about him being their most clinical finisher since Thierry Henry while Ian Wright has been giving him tips after getting in touch on Instagram.
Yet inspite of Martinellis dazzling form, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is keen to keep a lid on Emirates expectations.
He knows only too well how Gedion Zelalem, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Fran Merida, Jon Toral, Yaya Sanogo, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Krystian Bielik all failed to make the Arsenal grade after being hailed as the next big thing.
But Martinellis team-mates are convinced this kid is no flash-in-the-pan and Hector Bellerin says: There are not many 18-year-olds with Gabis talent.
If he keeps his head where it is now, he is going to go far for sure.
People talk about talent, but what they dont see is his professionalism.
He turns up early for training every day, he does all the stuff he is asked to, hes the first player to press from the front and the last player to leave everything on the pitch.
He helps us in every single way and his goals are just a bonus.
So the thing that everyone needs to praise him for is his attitude because thats what makes him a proper player.
