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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Kyle Newbould

'Hate to play against' - Emile Heskey urges Liverpool to make Gabriel Martinelli move

Emile Heskey would love to see his former club Liverpool make a move to sign Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal winger Martinelli has been in outstanding form this season, racking up four goals and two assists in nine Premier League appearances so far. The Brazilian found the net after less than 60 seconds during last Sunday's 3-2 win over Liverpool at the Emirates before setting up Bukayo Saka for the Gunners' second goal in first-half injury-time.

Martinelli terrorised Trent Alexander-Arnold before the Reds right-back was forced off with a nasty-looking ankle problem that is likely to keep him out for two weeks. With Mikel Arteta's side flying high at the top of the table - 14 points clear of 10th-placed Liverpool - and the 21-year-old going from strength to strength, a move anywhere is highly unlikely.

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But that hasn't stopped ex-Liverpool striker Heskey showing his admiration for Martinelli and admitting he would love to see him make the switch to Anfield.

“I can’t see Arsenal letting Gabriel Martinelli go any time soon, but he’d definitely be someone I would be looking at if I was Liverpool," Heskey told Ladbrokes (via CaughtOffside ). “If you look at that aggression in his game, and the way he’s played so far this season, there aren’t many out there with his ability. He’s up and down the pitch, non-stop, for 90 minutes. He’s got the ability to drive at players, pull them in and out of positions.

“He’s confident and comfortable on the ball to a point where, as a defender, you aren’t quite sure whether he’s going to have a shot, put a cross in or take you on. He’s a fantastic player, and someone who everyone would love to play with and hate to play against. He gives you no time whatsoever.

“There was a time in the game on Sunday where Joel Matip was dealing with a ball in the air, it looked like he had complete control, and then out of nowhere Martinelli comes in, closes him down and took the ball off him. He got his body in the way, and he’s a strong lad these days, so once he’s in that position, he’s hard to beat. That was from something which wasn’t even a 50-50 ball; it was more a 70:30 ball in Matip’s favour.

“Players like that, you’re always going to want in your team.”

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