Gabriel Martinelli appears set to leave Arsenal before deadline day -Credit:Marc Atkins, Getty Images Arsenal and Al Hilal are moving closer to reaching an agreement for Gabriel Martinelli. Internal discussions have been taking place between the clubs, but now there is confidence that an agreement can be finalized. The sum appears to be above £50 million ($68.1 million), which would represent a record-breaking amount for an outgoing Gunners player.
The current record stands at £35 million (around $45–$46 million), from 2017 when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Liverpool. Martinelli has just one year remaining on his current contract at the club, although there is an option to extend by a further year. The Brazilian has participated in preseason for the Gunners; however, he was excluded from the matchday squads for the FA Community Shield and the Premier League opener against Coventry City.
london understands that, despite claims from Ian Wright that the player was 'not being spoken to', Mikel Arteta had communicated with the player about the decision not to include him in the team. After an initial inquiry from Galatasaray, Al Hilal's interest has surfaced, with their prior interest in Pedro Neto discouraged by Chelsea's substantial asking price. Al Hilal paid West Ham United £55 million ($75 million) plus £5 million ($6.8 million) in add-ons for Dutch international Crysencio Summerville after the 24-year-old scored five goals and four assists in a season in which West Ham United were relegated.
Martinelli, a year older, managed just one Premier League goal and four assists as the Gunners claimed the title. He did, however, find the net six times during the UEFA Champions League's initial phase, chipping in with two assists as well. He wrapped up the campaign with 18 goal contributions in total — a tally surpassed only by Viktor Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka, and Leandro Trossard in terms of combined goals and assists. To listen to the latest episode of 'All Out Soccer' - CLICK HERE Despite Trossard's departure, the arrival of Christos Tzolis meant Martinelli was not anticipated to feature prominently in the club's plans for the upcoming season.
The club may yet pursue another attacking addition, bolstered by the funds generated from Martinelli's sale, or alternatively deploy Eberechi Eze in a wider position, with Noni Madueke also in contention for that role.
