Gabriel Martinelli has told The Times that David Luiz is a sensational person who is missed by everyone at Arsenal as he described the relationship that they shared during the early stages of his Gunners career.
Luiz had an interesting time at the Emirates. On the pitch, he had some really mixed form. And he arrived at a time where the Gunners were struggling to find an identity in a new era.
However, he was clearly someone who brought a lot to the side during his two seasons with the Gunners. He was obviously a major leader, having achieved so much in the game.
And certainly, Martinelli cannot speak high enough of the impact Luiz had on him during their time together in North London. Of course, the two are both Brazilian. And, as Martinelli suggests, they would often do battle in training.
David Luiz missed by everyone at Arsenal
And while the Gunners have definitely moved forward in more recent times, Martinelli clearly thinks that Luiz’s departure left a major void in the squad.
“He is a sensational man, a man who deserves everything he achieved and a person everybody here misses,” he told The Times.
“He was quite important to me when I arrived, giving me advice on my moves. At that moment, I was playing more of a striker role, so I was always close to him in training sessions and he would give me guidance.”
Luiz’s Arsenal spell was obviously not the best of his career. There were certainly some high points. But it is fair to say that the defence looks to be a much stronger unit nowadays with the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Ben White.
Clearly, he had a significant impact on the squad. Arsenal now boast a strong group of Brazilian players. And you can see that Luiz took some of them under his wing during his time with the club.
It was the right decision for all parties for Luiz to leave for Flamengo in 2021. But Martinelli clearly feels that he must get plenty of credit for the progress the Gunners have made in the last few years.