Arsenal could be in for a busy final week of the summer transfer window.
There is an increasing feeling that Gabriel Martinelli’s seven-year spell in north London is drawing to a close.
Although Martinelli had originally wanted to remain at Arsenal and rejected a move to Turkey despite interest from Galatasaray, frank conversations with manager Mikel Arteta about his place in the squad have made the Brazilian more open to a transfer.
No final agreement has been completed yet, with Arsenal valuing Martinelli at about £60 million. Al-Hilal, however, are aiming to conclude a deal closer to £50 million.
Even so, negotiations are moving in a positive direction and Martinelli has been offered a contract that would significantly increase his current wages of £180,000 per week.
Gabriel Martinelli now appears set to leave Arsenal for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
If the transfer is completed, as now seems increasingly probable, it would become Arsenal’s record sale.
At present, the £35 million Arsenal received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017 remains the highest fee the club have brought in for an outgoing player.
Martinelli has been at Arsenal throughout Arteta’s tenure, having joined from Brazilian club Ituano in the summer of 2019 for a fee of around £6 million.
Since then, he has scored 62 goals for the club and, after several near-misses in recent seasons, contributed to last season’s title-winning campaign.
Martinelli’s departure would continue Arsenal’s reshaping of the left wing. Leandro Trossard left earlier this summer for Besiktas, while Christos Tzolis was brought in from Club Brugge as his replacement.
It remains unclear whether Martinelli will also be directly replaced during the final week of the transfer window.
Arsenal had maintained a long-standing interest in Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, but he has suffered a foot injury and is expected to spend some time out.
Julian Alvarez is still the leading target, although that move is complicated and Arsenal are continuing to wait for encouragement from his representatives.
The Gunners are prepared to be financially ambitious if Alvarez becomes attainable, just as they were earlier this summer with Vinicius Jr.
However, they will not spend heavily simply for the sake of it on players whose asking prices are well above the club’s own valuations.
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