Mikel Arteta raves about ‘contagious’ Arsenal talent Gabriel Martinelli

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Gabriel Martinelli is nearing a return to the Arsenal setup and boss Mikel Arteta has called his attitude ‘contagious’ ahead of his comeback.

Speaking to the club’s official website ahead of this weekend’s game with Everton, Arteta confirmed the Brazilian isn’t far away.

Martinelli hasn’t played for the Gunners since February but did make an appearance for the under-23s in the EFL Trophy earlier this month.

The £6 million player enjoyed a decent first season at the Emirates Stadium, firing 10 goals and claiming four assists for the team.

With Arsenal struggling to find a creative spark, his return to action really can’t come soon enough.

Arteta was full of praise for the youngster when speaking to the press this morning.

He told the club’s official website: “He’s contagious with his attitude and I think it’s going to be a big boost when we have him.

“He is pure enthusiasm, energy, belief, charisma and goals. This is him. He’s around the training ground and around our sessions and the energy is different because he goes 100 miles per hour.

“He’s got this passion that we’ve been missing because he brings something special to the team.”

TBR View – Martinelli return will be big positive for Arsenal

The exciting talent was just getting into his stride in English football when injury struck last season.

At 19 there is ample time to make up for lost time and he’ll want to hit the ground running.

The £90,000-a-week starlet showcased some serious attributes during last season and his goal contributions have been missed during 2020/21.

With Arsenal languishing in 15th place in the Premier League, having Martinelli back will be a massive positive.

Going into the busy Christmas period, the youngster could be like a new signing for Arteta.