Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has opened up on the pain that being 'rejected' by Manchester United as a teenager caused him as he prepares to showcase his talent on the biggest stage.
Martinelli, 21, has been a shining light for the table-topping Gunners this season, and his form led Brazil to pick him as a wildcard option for their World Cup squad. Despite only being capped three times by his country before these finals in Qatar, the fleet-footed Martinelli was included as part of a star-studded 26-player group.
It caps a meteoric rise for the Arsenal starlet after the North Londoners plucked him from lower-level Brazilian side Ituano for €7.1million in 2019. It wasn't too long before that Martinelli had hoped to forge a career for himself at Old Trafford, while Spanish giants Barcelona also passed up on their opportunity to sign him.
