Gabriel Martinelli appears increasingly likely to depart Arsenal as negotiations with Al Hilal move toward a potential resolution, sources have indicated.
The two clubs are drawing nearer to finalising terms for Martinelli, football.london understands. While discussions have been taking place internally, there is now growing confidence that a deal can be concluded.
The fee appears set to surpass the £50million mark, which would see Arsenal receive an unprecedented sum for a departing player. The previous benchmark remains the £35million received when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain moved to Liverpool in 2017.
Martinelli enters the final 12 months of his current deal at the north London club, though the contract includes a 12-month extension clause. The Brazilian participated in pre-season activities but was absent from the matchday squads for both the FA Community Shield and the season-opening Premier League fixture against Coventry City.
football.london has learned that despite assertions from Ian Wright suggesting the player had received no communication, Mikel Arteta did discuss the decision to omit him with the player. After Galatasaray initially made contact, Al Hilal entered the frame having previously pursued Pedro Neto only to be discouraged by Chelsea’s substantial valuation.
Al Hilal recently committed £55million plus an additional £5million in performance-related add-ons to acquire Netherlands international Crysencio Summerville from West Ham United. The 24-year-old contributed five goals and four assists during a campaign that ended with West Ham’s relegation.
By comparison, Martinelli, a year older, managed just a single Premier League strike alongside four assists as Arsenal clinched the championship. He did find the net six times during the UEFA Champions League’s initial phase, supplying two further assists.
His season concluded with 18 total goal contributions. Only Viktor Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard accumulated more combined goals and assists throughout the campaign.
Following Christos Tzolis’s arrival, and despite Trossard’s departure, Martinelli was not anticipated to feature prominently in the club’s plans for the upcoming season. Arsenal could pursue another attacking option funded by the Martinelli transfer proceeds, alternatively deploy Eberechi Eze in a wider position, with Noni Madueke representing another possible option.