Gabriel Martinelli has wasted little time showing Brazil's players and coaches what he can do after earning a call-up to his country's senior international squad.
The 20-year-old made his senior debut for the Selecao on Saturday, coming off the bench in a World Cup qualifying victory against Chile. However, with a follow-up game against Bolivia on the horizon, the Arsenal man has been showing national boss Tite what he can do.
Brazil's football federation (CBF) has been sharing some footage from a training session out in South America, with Martinelli causing a stir. And there were even shades of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in one of the goals he scored in preparation for the 15th of 16 qualifying games.
Playing on the left in a small-sided game, there's a moment in which Martinelli opens up is body to curl in a finish which wouldn't have looked out of place in a highlight reel from Arsenal's legendary Frenchman. Later in the session, he also leaves Bruno Guimaraes in the ground with an impressive piece of skill before clipping the crossbar.
Plenty of fans were impressed with the display, to the point that there were calls for him to start in Bolivia. "Gabi's on fire," wrote one fan, while another said "Martinelli will be the biggest Brazilian star after Neymar in recent years."
The session also included a goal from Richarlison, and Arsenal fans impressed by Martinelli also had plenty to say about the Everton forward. "Richarlison is exactly the type of striker I'd go for," one fan wrote on Reddit. "He's got that South American flair and determination combo that I love and I think he'll do wonders at a bigger club."
Martinelli and Richarlison had both taken part in the Olympic Games, as Brazil won gold in the men's football tournament for the second time in a row. However, while the latter has been part of the full international set-up since 2018, the younger Martinelli has had to be more patient.
"Gabi has shown big signs of where he's moving," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said as the former Ituano man earned his first senior call-up. "Certainly the capacity that he has to score goals and be a threat in the final third and I think his contribution all round in his game has been exceptional."
Italy's Brazil-born midfielder Jorginho had made efforts to convince Martinelli to switch his international allegiances, but this never entered the youngster's mind. "As I’ve said before, my dream was always to play for Brazil. I was just waiting for the opportunity to play for Brazil," he told Globo.
