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Arsenal are set to announce the signing of young Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli in the next few days, their first summer signing.
The Brazilian media are reporting that a £6 million fee has been agreed between Arsenal and his club Ituano FC, and the move is expected to be concluded in the next few days, with the teenager now turned 18, meaning that he is free to conclude his move to England.
Martinelli does not need a work permit – he qualifies for an Italian passport through his father, which means that Arsenal are not going to face the same problems bringing him to the club that they faced with previous young South and Central American talents, like Joel Campbell and Wellington.
It is not yet clear though what Unai Emery’s plans are for Martinelli when he arrives in North London, and whether he will be integrated with the first-team squad immediately, or sent to bed in with the youth squad.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.