Liverpool have been told to avoid signing Leeds forward Raphinha and make a move for Arsenal starlet Gabriel Martinelli this summer.
The 20-year-old Martinelli captured supporters’ imaginations with his performance against the Reds last week - and ex-Liverpool goalkeeper David James believes he would be an ideal signing for his former side. Liverpool have been linked with a number of forwards ahead of the summer transfer window, including Leeds forward Raphinha.
However, the former England number one has his doubts over whether the Brazilian would improve Jurgen Klopp’s current attacking options.
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“That Liverpool front four or five, whatever you want to call it, is he the same, is he better?” James told esports website GGrecon. “Under Jurgen Klopp and in that environment, would he get better? Possibly. If it is true, I think the price would be the key indicator on that one. I like him but again, when you look at Luis Diaz, who is a sensational signing, is Raphinha as good as him? I don’t think so at the moment.
“It’s whether he can be better than that. I think with Diaz you already had a superstar who came in and continued to be a superstar. Raphinha is a slightly different model I would argue. Gabriel Martinelli is one player who I get excited by. If it was a choice between Martinelli and Raphinha, I would go for Martinelli.”
The Arsenal forward has been in productive form so far this season, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 19 league games. And his ability certainly caught the eye of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp once again when the two sides met in January.
The German coach had already labelled Martinelli “talent of the century” after a Carabao Cup game in 2019 and delivered similar praise earlier this year: "Martinelli by the way...everybody should remember that name. Outstanding player," said Klopp.
Following the instant success of Luis Diaz after his January move from Porto, James could not help comparing Martinelli to the Colombian winger. The ex-Red said that he could picture Martinelli “fitting in seamlessly” as part of Jurgen Klopp’s side, much like Diaz.
“He’s young and he’s got everything you need. It’s almost like a slightly rawer Diaz, and the beauty of Diaz is that he can play basically anywhere. Martinelli obviously occupies the left a lot more. I always think that with a good environment and age, you can manipulate a player into something else, and I think Martinelli fits that criteria. He’s young and more than capable.
“And I can imagine him in a Liverpool kit, doing what he does with Arsenal, if not better, and just fitting in seamlessly.”
