Johnathan Vidalle, one of the scouts who recommended Arsenal sign Gabriel Martinelli, admits that he didn’t expect the player to make such an instant impact.
The Brazilian has scored 10 goals in his debut season in North London, becoming a revelation.
Vidalle told the Arsenal en America podcast that he didn’t expect such quick results. "He has physique, intelligence and has the attitude of a 30 year old man. When Francis [Cagigao, Arsenal’s head scout] went to see him, things were quite advanced.
"He met up at the hotel after a game and asked him who his idol was. Instead of saying Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or Neymar, he said Cristiano Ronaldo. But he said it because he knows he, like CR7 doesn’t have great technique, but he is very competitive, he has a mentality that is difficult to find in a boy in the fourth tier.
"This boy surprised me, I did not expect such good results in such short time. It is not easy to reach a league as competitive as the Premier League, and not only play a few games, he earned a place in the starting 11. All of this when Arsenal went through a period in which things were not going well, and yet he was always up to the task."
