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What's the story?
Arsenal has been in contact with Brazillian side Ituano regarding the availability of their hot young prospect, Gabriel Martinelli. Reports from Yahoo Brazil allege that a verbal agreement has been made between the two clubs, with the move to be made official in the next few weeks.
In case you didn't know...
Gabriel Martinelli is a 17-year-old forward who plays for Ituano in the Campeonato Paulista, Brazil's top flight league. The winger also had trials with Manchester United but the Gunners are set to swoop in before anyone else.
According to the Sun, Martinelli prefers the idea of living in London and believes that he would get more opportunities in the first team than he would at other top European clubs.
Martinelli is understood to have been monitored by over 20 top European clubs in recent months, ever since he shone for Brazil in the Under-20 South American Championships back in January.
The heart of the matter
Whilst talks have been reportedly agreed verbally, Arsenal must wait for the Brazilian youngster to obtain a European passport before they can go any further with the deal.
The first task for Martinelli now is to acquire EU citizenship, which would allow him to bypass obtaining a British work permit. Due to his part-Italian heritage, Martinelli could potentially secure an Italian passport as early as next month, which would speed up proceedings significantly.
Martinelli will turn 18 years old in June, which will render him eligible for EU citizenship, but as stated previously: he could get an Italian passport before then, giving Arsenal a chance to swiftly conclude negotiations.
The final amount for the 17-year-old starlet is set to rise to £6.5m.
What next?
Arsenal is reportedly willing to let the Brazilian youth international remain at Ituano for another year before he travels to England in January, allowing him to develop even further before making the switch abroad.
