Gabriel Martinelli has revealed that Jorginho made a sly attempt to switch his international allegiance but he never considered representing anyone but Brazil.
The Arsenal youngster moved to the Emirates in 2019 and has made his name in north London. Martinelli is tipped for big things and has already helped his country claim Olympic Gold in Tokyo. He recently earned his first call-up to Brazil's senior side having only represented their youth teams up until now.
Martinelli does hold dual Brazil-Italian citizenship and Chelsea's midfielder, who played a key role in the Azzurri's Euro 2020 triumph, attempted to lure the Arsenal man away from the South American side. Jorginho himself could've played for Brazil but opted not to - a move Martinelli will not be following.
He was if anyone spoke to him about playing for Italy and Martinelli told Globo: "No-one spoke to me, only Jorginho once said to me, 'I hope to see you in March', something like that, but no-one [official] spoke to me, no." He added: "As I’ve said before, my dream was always to play for Brazil. I was just waiting for the opportunity to play for Brazil."
Martinelli has made himself a regular at Arsenal in recent months, settling on a place on the left of a forward line. His finishing ability has seen him marked out as a potential No 9 but the player himself prefers operating in wide areas. At international level that will mean he faces plenty of competition - something the youngster is very aware of.
He said: "I prefer to play on the wings, the left side especially. But I also like to reach the box a lot with a chance to finish. I can also play on the right side, but my favourite position is on the left wing, cutting inside and getting as close to the goal as possible. We have many stars in our squad, but I will try to take advantage of the opportunity I have in the best way possible.
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"All of the players are great, each of us has our own strengths. Neymar has his, Vini has his, [Ajax winger] Antony has his. I will do my best to get my place in the World Cup squad." Brazil face Chile and Bolivia in the next week which could provide the Arsenal man with a chance to impress.
Martinelli has never been shy in speaking of his fondness when it comes to representing his country. He told Soccer Bible earlier this month: "I get a rush every time I pull on that [Brazil] kit. It means a lot for me to play for my country and I always try to be my best when I wear that shirt."
"With a world cup right around the corner – one of the best tournaments in the world – I want to go and play." Martinelli has been joined in the Brazil squad by Arsenal teammate Gabriel, with the defender also looking to make his debut.
