Paul Merson says Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli has got ‘so much talent’

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Paul Merson believes Arsenal youngster Gabriel Martinelli has ‘enormous potential’, but the Brazilian has to step up this season.

The 21-year-old is one of Arsenal‘s finest young talents. He came to the Emirates as an unknown teenager, but after just a few months, everybody knew who he was.

Martinelli has played 84 times for the Gunners in all competitions so far. He has scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists, but we all know he has the talent to have a much bigger impact.

Merson raved about the Brazil international’s potential, but he feels Martinelli has to be more consistent and has urged him to learn from another incredible Arsenal youngster – Bukayo Saka.

Paul Merson says Gabriel Martinelli has enormous potential

In his column on The Daily Star, Merson wrote: “Gabriel Martinelli needs to take a big leap forward this season because his potential is enormous.

“For me, he gets great reviews, but it’s never for the whole game. He plays in flashes. I remember seeing him against Liverpool last season in the cup and for 15 minutes, he gave Trent Alexander-Arnold the absolute runaround.

“But I don’t think he really touched the ball after that. He has moments in games and you’ve got to have more than moments if you want to reach the top. He has to keep wanting and demanding the ball all the time. He’s got so much talent. He needs to use it more consistently.

“You can’t keep drifting in and out of a football match. He’s better than that. Don’t be amazing for ten minutes and then disappear.

“He’s got pace, he’s got quick feet, he’s a good finisher. He’s got everything. He just has to put it all out there for longer. I would like to see him get more involved in the game in the way Bukayo Saka does. He could learn from that.

“Saka has learned to stay involved and keep attacking, all the time. Martinelli needs to look at what Saka does and follow his example. If he gets it all together like Saka, he could be a really big game-changer for Arsenal. A really important part of the team.”

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Merson’s right, if Martinelli improves his consistency, he could become an absolute superstar.

The Brazilian is a really dangerous player when he’s feeling it, but he does have the tendency to drift out of games. That explains why Mikel Arteta has often been hesitant to leave him on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes, but it’s not something Gunners fans should be worried about.

Martinelli is still only 21 and has a lot to learn. His development has been phenomenal over the last few years, and he will only get better in the coming seasons, especially as he’ll likely play a lot more than he has before.

Arsenal’s attack really does look exciting now. A front three of Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Saka with Martin Odegaard feeding them from the number 10 role makes the Gunners a really dangerous side, and this may well turn out to be the 21-year-old Brazilian’s best-ever campaign.

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