Martinelli Heading For Arsenal Exit Door

Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli is on the verge of leaving the club, with Saudi Premier League side Al-Hilal closing in on an agreement with the north Londoners.

The 25-year-old was left out of Arsenal’s squad for Friday’s 3-0 win over Coventry City in their Premier League opener, as speculation intensified over the Brazilian’s future.

And now, a deal worth up to £60 million looks set to be agreed with Al-Hilal, with personal terms not likely to be an issue.

Arteta Keen to Balance the Books

It’s been an expensive summer for Arsenal, who have spent more than £100 million upgrading their midfield with the signings of Bruno Guimareas and Christos Tzolis, while Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa signed over the weekend for around £50 million.

Those acquisitions had given Arsenal’s squad a bloated look, and manager Mikel Arteta has been keen to move players on to balance the books and potentially fund one more signing before the transfer window closes next week.

Martinelli follows the likes of Christian Norgaard and Leandro Trossard out of the Emirates exit door, who signed for Everton and Besiktas respectively.

Martinelli at Arsenal: The Numbers

In total, should he leave this week, Martinelli will end his Arsenal account with 278 appearances and 62 goals to his name.

After modest returns in his opening three seasons, he sprung to life in 2022/23, scoring 15 goals in 35 Premier League appearances.

But he has struggled for consistency since then, scoring only 15 Premier League goals in the last three campaigns, and while his departure will need filling in the squad, a sale of £60 million represents an excellent return on the £6 million that was spent to bring him to the club in 2019.