Who Is Arsenal Target Gabriel Veron? And Is His $32.5m Price Tag Realistic For The Gunners?

When the fourth official stepped towards the touchline and held his board aloft – the number 47 displayed on it in big green digits – a murmur of anticipation crackled around Allianz Parque.

It was late February and Palmeiras’ Campeonato Paulista fixture against Guarani was drifting; the home side were 1-0 up, comfortable, and the life had gone from the game. But the fans knew the last 20 minutes would now be well worth staying for.

They were about to get another glimpse of 17-year-old Gabriel Veron, their number 47 and the most exciting prospect to have come through the Palmeiras academy since current Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus.

Gabriel Veron is perhaps the hottest property on Brazilian soccer’s lucrative transfer market at the moment. Since leading the U17 national team to World Cup glory on home soil in 2019, he has been attracting admiring glances from several among Europe’s moneyed elite.

Palmeiras fans are rightly excited each time they get the chance to see him in action, a sense that is intensified by knowledge that they will likely not be able to do so for much longer. Increasingly, South America’s finest prospects are being whisked across the Atlantic as soon they turn 18, fast-tracked to finish their development in the gilded galleries of Europe’s big five leagues.

One of the reasons for that is that talent at that age is still a risk – the boys may not turn out to be as good as hoped – so the transfers come significantly cheaper than they might three or four years down the line. Additionally, taking a player at 18 means he will spend vital development years in the high-performance environs of a top European league rather than the relatively weak Brazilian Série A.

Arsenal, with Edu Gaspar installed as technical director and a well-developed scouting network in South America’s biggest country, give every sign of wanting to be at the forefront of the drive to capture young Brazilian talent. Gabriel Martinelli has already arrived, proving a bargain at $7.25m, and shortly after Gabriel Veron replaced Luiz Adriano against Guarani, he demonstrated once again why he is the latest teenager to be linked to the Gunners.

The first time he received the ball, wide on the left, he knocked it around the Guarani right-back with his first touch, burst past him and pulled it back for a team-mate who blasted over the bar. The second, he sprinted past the defender again – according to Palmeiras, he can reach a top speed of 38 km/h, which, if true, already makes him one of the fastest footballers in the world – before poking the ball just wide with the outside of his right boot.

It is that same mix of stunning acceleration, skill and directness that saw him score three goals, create 18 chances, complete more dribbles than any other player and win the Golden Ball at last year’s U17 World Cup. In the subsequent six months, he has made his Palmeiras debut, scored his first two top-flight goals and been the subject of inquiries from Barcelona and Everton, as well as Arsenal.

This week, Yahoo Brazil journalist Jorge Nicola reported that Everton had substantiated their interest by submitting a bid of $16.2m, which was rejected out of hand. Palmeiras are supposedly holding out for a sum in the region of $32.5m.

That fee could present an obstacle to Arsenal. The club does not have unlimited funds to spend in the summer, a situation that has been further affected by the coronavirus outbreak. And however good Gabriel Veron may become — the physical and technical aspects required to shine at the very top are certainly present — $30m is still a substantial investment.

Martinelli was picked up for so little because he came from Ituano, a fourth-division outfit that has little economic might. Gabriel Veron is a different case entirely.

The player signed a new, four-year contract in November 2019 and Palmeiras, unlike a lot of Brazilian clubs, are is a strong financial position, so will not be forced to sell below market value. Having seen Flamengo and Santos sell Reinier Jesus, Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo to Real Madrid for fees of between $35m and $50m in the last two years, the São Paulo-based club will not want to see their own crown jewel leave for a pittance.

Arsenal will be carefully assessing if that level of investment is worthwhile. Head of International Scouting Francis Cagigao and the club’s man in Brazil, Everton Gushiken, were the two who identified Martinelli and secured his signature. Their reputation, as outlined in a piece published by the Athletic earlier this month, is for meticulously gathering information about potential targets, including research into personality and attitude.

If the scouts decide they would be getting a player who has the potential to be among the world’s most dangerous forwards, then a fee of around $25m to $30m may be deemed reasonable. Cagigao, when he decides a player is right, is known to stand firmly by that opinion. And with the immediate success of Martinelli and Edu in the directors’ box, the club is an attractive proposition for any teenage Brazilian looking to adapt to life in Europe.