Gabriel Martinelli Says Arsenal Blocked Brazil U23 Call for Olympic Qualifiers

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has said the club denied him permission to take part in the ongoing Olympic qualifying matches for Brazil. 

The 18-year-old has been one of the success stories of the Gunners' campaign, showcasing exciting potential following a transfer from Ituano in the summer of 2019.

After shining for Arsenal, it's anticipated Martinelli will play a part for the Selecao at the Games this summer, when they will be seeking to defend the Olympic title they won four years ago. Speaking to UOL (h/t Alex Milne of the Daily Mirror), the teenager said he wanted to be involved in the recent qualifiers:

"I said that if it was up to me I would play. But we knew it would be difficult. It was a time when I was a started at Arsenal, and people preferred not to let me go.

"He (Brazil general coordinator Juninho Paulista) already called me, spoke to me and congratulated me on what I'm doing. I haven't been called up yet, but I'm very calm about it. We talked a little after he went to the national team. He called me, said that this was the opportunity of my life, that I should give my best because things would go well."

As relayed by Milne, Martinelli is also eligible to play for Italy, and he's yet to decide which country he will represent in the future.

The Selecao face three matches in quick succession in their attempt to qualify for the tournament. They faced Colombia on Monday in their first CONMEBOL pre-Olympic Tournament encounter, drawing 1-1; next up is a clash with Uruguay on Wednesday before they finish against Argentina on Sunday.

Here are the highlights from the first match, with Matheus Cunha on the scoresheet for Brazil:

If Arsenal were in a stronger position in the Premier League they may have been more open to allowing Martinelli to go off on international duty in midseason. However, he's developed into one of the key players in a team down in 10th in the Premier League.

Aside from star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the teenager is the team's most likely source of goals; It's been a while since an Arsenal forward so young made an impression this big:

Martinelli could represent a huge bargain for Arsenal:

If Martinelli goes the Olympics in the summer it will be a brilliant experience for him, although not playing in these qualifying matches is unlikely to enhance his chances of doing so.

However, if he continues to get into the Arsenal squad and performs well in the Premier League, the teenager will surely remain in the mix for a spot at the Tokyo showpiece, provided Brazil can qualify without him.