The teenager has trained with the Selecao previously but has yet to make a competitive appearance for Tite's side
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has made contact with representatives of Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli with a view to having the young Brazilian snub the country of his birth and instead pledge his allegiance to the Italy national team.
Martinelli was born in the Brazilian city of Guarulhos in the state of Sao Paolo, but it has emerged that he is eligible for an Italian passport through his father, and the Azzurri are keen to sign up the 18-year-old as he has not yet turned out for the Selecao.
Brazil national team coach Tite did actually call-up the youngster to join pre-tournament training ahead of the 2019 Copa America, which Brazil went on to win, but the trip was merely to have Martinelli and a select few other starlets get experience in a national team set-up.
Whether the Gunners' raw talent will be interested in making a switch to Italy remains to be seen, but the FIGC will no doubt point to the plethora of forwards already at Tite's disposal – Neymar, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Vinicius Junior, Douglas Costa and Lucas Moura to name just a few.
Tite's former right-hand man, Edu, is now director of football at Arsenal, could well step in to convince the player to reject Italy's proposal, though it is understood that Martinelli has not yet ruled anything out.
Should he accept, he would become the third Brazil-born member of the Azzurri squad, joining Chelsea duo Emerson Palmieri and Jorginho.