Here are your Manchester United evening headlines for Sunday, March 13.
23.02.2022 - 19:57 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Gabriel Martinelli has revealed he had four trials with Manchester United as a teenager before securing a deal with Arsenal.
The Brazilian has become a first-team regular under Mikel Arteta and has been widely praised by a number of Premier League managers for his stellar showings, with Jurgen Klopp just one of the bosses to laud his displays.
Martinelli signed for Arsenal in 2019 having caught the eye at Brazilian outfit Ituano, but he's now revealed he had four trials with United before making the switch to north London and even met some of United's biggest stars.
"My agent said we need to take a decision [on my future]. When he said Arsenal, I said, 'okay, you do not need to say anything else, we are going to London'," Martinelli told The Athletic when asked about his move to England.
"My dad and I had watched the Premier League together, all the teams, like Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Leicester.
"I actually had four different trials at United when I was 13, 14, 15 and 16.
"This was in Manchester at the club’s training base... I met first-team players like Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra.
"There was never a moment, though, when they said they wanted me there. But it gave me a taste and made the adaptation a little easier because I had experienced football in England.
"Even after those trials, I always believed in myself. My mind is always thinking, 'I can do it'."
Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.
Here are your Manchester United evening headlines for Sunday, March 13.
Arsenal duo Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey have reaffirmed their confidence in clinching a top four finish, as they overtook Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification.
Former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra has sent a jovial message to Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Frenchman hitting back at his former teammate's critics after he scored a hat-trick to seal a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.
Tottenham's Hugo Lloris has claimed Cristiano Ronaldo is 'difficult to control' following Manchester United's win on Saturday.
Manchester United legend Patrice Evra will move sports and lace-up boxing gloves for the first time, next month.
Dimitar Berbatov believes Marcus Rashford should wait and see who will become Manchester United's next manager before making a decision on his future.
Manchester United U18s booked their place in their first FA Youth Cup final in over a decade on Wednesday with an emphatic win over Wolves.
Manchester United's head of academy Nick Cox has claimed the current Under-18s can write their names in the club's history books.
Manchester United have reportedly identified the 'heir' to Paul Pogba, with Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic once again being linked with an Old Trafford switch.
Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, look away. Manchester United’s fans made their feelings abundantly clear following their side’s derby defeat on Sunday.
Gary Neville has still backed Manchester United to finish in the top four this season despite the Reds suffering a hammering at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Manchester United’s clash away at Liverpool later this month will be rearranged after Jurgen Klopp’s side progressed in the FA Cup.
Joel Glazer's summer promise is now more important than ever after Manchester United drew with Watford on Saturday afternoon.
Owen Hargreaves has underlined the decline in Manchester United over the years after insisting they would have beaten Watford four or five years ago.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has played down the fact that his side have two games in hand on Manchester United in the race for a top-four finish after moving to within one point of them in the Premier League table.
Manchester United are keen to land free agent Antonio Rudiger this summer.
It has been 11 years since Manchester United last won the FA Youth Cup.
Some of the Manchester United squad to face Atletico Madrid has been revealed after the team departed for the Spanish capital on Tuesday afternoon.
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has a number of selection dilemmas to solve at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United could face competition from Arsenal for the signing of Christopher Nkunku this summer, according to reports.