Martinelli's dad gives update on Corinthians transfer links amid Arsenal woes

Gabriel Martinelli's father has given an update on the Arsenal youngster's transfer situation after a slow start to the season.

The 20-year-old has made just two Premier League starts under manager Mikel Arteta this term and has been linked with a move to Brazilian outfit Corinthians.

Martinelli spent four years at Corinthians during his youth career before emerging at Sao Paolo rivals Ituano and later joining Arsenal in July 2019.

Many Gunners fans want to see Martinelli given a chance in the first team after helping Brazil win gold at the recent Olympics in Japan.

Despite his lack of Premier League minutes, the forward's father Joao has revealed he isn't considering quitting the Emirates just yet.

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As quoted by Yahoo, Martinelli's father told reporters when asked: "There is no chance of him going to Corinthians or any other Brazilian club!

"Since he came back from an injury, he's been playing a lot less than he would have liked. They even painted some proposals from Europe, but Arsenal has already warned that they will not release him.

"People like him a lot. Not only for what he plays, but also for his dedication. Martinelli is almost always the first to arrive for training and the last to leave."

Since joining Arsenal under previous manager Unai Emery, Martinelli has scored five goals in 33 Premier League appearances and earned praise from Brazilian icon Ronaldinho.

Discussing the youngster in 2020, Ronaldinho said: "It is one thing to have the talent, but another at the age of 18 to have the confidence.

"He reminds me of Ronaldo. In his first season in Europe, he scored 30 goals and people were thinking, 'Who is this 18-year-old Brazilian kid?'

"He wanted the ball, he would run at players, there was no fear no matter what players or team he was playing against - and I see that similar attitude in Martinelli."

Martinelli has been involved in every matchday squad under current boss Arteta this season, despite picking up a minor injury in October.

The talent has spent most of the campaign on the bench, playing just 12 minutes of Premier League action since starting against Chelsea in August.

Despite this, Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will not let the player leave the club on loan in January.

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The Spaniard said in October: "We have a lot of trust with Gabi and we need to find space for him to grow within the squad. If you look at the number of games he's played, the injuries have been a big setback for him.

"We sometimes forget his age and we need to try and help him maintain that balance because you can generate frustration that comes out of, in my opinion, a not very realistic diagnosis and we need time.

"I'm very happy with him we are not thinking about anything like that [a loan]."