John Obi Mikel has delivered a brutal verdict on one of the Arsenal players heading into the Champions League final.
Speaking on TNT Sports Brazil, the former Chelsea midfielder was asked to rate how difficult particular Arsenal and PSG players would be to play against, on a scale of one to ten.
When Gabriel Martinelli’s name came up, Mikel said, without hesitation, “One,” before adding: “Why is he on this list?”
Mikel then clocked that Martinelli is Brazilian, at which point he burst out laughing, as did the interviewer, who fell to the floor.
At the end of the clip, Mikel apologises to the Brazilian people watching, and sarcastically adds, “Martinelli! Very good player.”
The ex-Chelsea man might not rate Martinelli, but his former manager Carlo Ancelotti does.
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Gabriel Martinelli faces an uncertain future at Arsenal
Martinelli has had a stop-start season at Arsenal, managing just one Premier League goal and four assists.
The 24-year-old has found himself behind Leandro Trossard in Mikel Arteta’s attacking hierarchy during the run-in.
He has though, fared better in Europe, providing six goals and two assists in 13 appearances, but whether he features at all in Budapest remains to be seen.
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Arsenal are expected to listen to offers for Martinelli this summer, with the club understood to value him at around £40-50 million.
With his contract running until 2027, with an option for a further year, it feels like a natural endpoint for the club’s longest serving first-team player.
The Brazilian arrived at Arsenal as a raw teenage talent but has never quite fulfilled the potential that once made him one of the most exciting young forwards in European football.
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