Signed at £6m, now worth £34m: Arsenal struck gold on gem with "a bit of Pires" to him - opinion

Having traded in a host of senior stars in favour of an immensely gifted, but inexperienced, crop of young talent, Arsenal are beginning to reap the rewards of their bold transfer policy in recent times.

While Champions League qualification is no sure thing, the Gunners remain firmly in the mix for a top-four finish heading into the final weeks of the Premier League campaign, with only rivals Tottenham Hotspur standing in their way of a return to Europe’s premier competition for the first time since 2017.

A vital part of Mikel Arteta’s emerging and exciting side has been Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli, with the 20-year-old belying his years with a string of impactful displays so far this season.

A relative unknown prior to his move to the Emirates, the versatile speedster had been plying his trade for fourth-tier side Ituano in his homeland when he was spotted by club scout Johnathan Vidalle, with the north Londoners eventually stumping up £6m to bring him to England in the summer of 2019.

That fee may have appeared somewhat steep at the time considering the level of football at which the then-teenager had been competing in, although the Sao Paulo-native has quickly made that figure look like an absolute bargain, such has been his impact over the past few seasons.

The youngster made almost the perfect start to life in English football with a brilliant brace on his full debut in a 5-o win over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup, quickly quashing any possible doubts over whether he could acclimatise to life in a new country.

Since then, Martinelli has had his problems with injury, although has truly come of age in what’s been a fine campaign for Arteta’s men as a whole this season.

The £41k-per-week ace has