Arsenal trickster could have joined Barcelona in 2019 before club walked away from deal | OneFootball

In what now looks like a serious scouting blunder, AS has revealed that Barcelona passed on the opportunity to sign Gabriel Martinelli for next to nothing during his early development years.

The Brazilian winger, now a rising star at Arsenal, had once trialled at Barcelona and was even on the verge of joining the club, but the Catalan side failed to act in time, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Martinelli’s recent standout performance against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League has brought renewed attention to his meteoric rise at Arsenal.

The 23-year-old has grown into one of Mikel Arteta’s most explosive attacking weapons at the Emirates, and his abilities would have fit perfectly into Barça’s system.

A missed opportunity in 2019

Back in 2019, Martinelli was playing for Ituano, a modest club in the fourth tier of Brazilian football.

Barcelona, through their scouting network, had identified his potential early and even invited him to a 15-day trial with Barça B, where he trained under the watchful eyes of the club’s technical staff.

The player impressed, but the decision-makers at the club never greenlit the deal.

Gabriel Martinelli gave trials for Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“He came to Barça B almost for free, but they didn’t approve the signing. They didn’t say yes or no,” a source close to the player told AS.

“He was in Barcelona for two weeks. After that, scouts saw him again at the Copa Sao Paulo, but by then, another club had already made their move.”

Arsenal seize the moment

That club, of course, was Arsenal. Thanks to the initiative of then-sporting director Raúl Sanllehi, the Gunners quickly snapped up Martinelli.

Initially hesitant, Arsenal were eventually swayed by the teenager’s technical quality and determination.

“Initially, they didn’t want to make the signing, but his quality ended up convincing them,” the source added.

They paid €5 million for 50% of his rights, and later secured 80% ownership for an additional €3 million.

Since then, Martinelli has gone on to earn caps for Brazil and develop into a key player for Arsenal, showcasing his talents not just domestically but also on the European stage.