Arsenal's Brazilian winger — signed for £6 million, developed into one of the Premier League's most dynamic forwards.
Gabriel Teodoro Martinelli Silva was born in Guarulhos, Brazil in 2001. Arsenal paid just £6 million for him from a small Brazilian club in 2019 — at the time considered a low-profile acquisition. He made his Arsenal debut at 18 and immediately scored in the League Cup. During lockdown he won Arsenal's goal of the season for a goal against Everton that showed extraordinary technical quality. His development under Mikel Arteta from teenage prospect to one of the Premier League's most dangerous wide forwards has been one of English football's finest individual development stories of the 2020s. He scored crucial goals in Arsenal's Premier League title challenges. He represented Brazil under multiple managers. His pace, directness and the work rate with which he presses from the front — running at defenders and then tracking back when possession is lost — make him the model wide forward for Arteta's high-press system. The contrast between his £6 million transfer fee and his current market value exceeding £80 million reflects the development.
FA Cup (2020 squad)
Career Honours
- FA Cup (2020 squad)
- Premier League runner-up 2x