Arsenal and Al Hilal SFC are in talks over the transfer of Gabriel Martinelli, with the player open to the move after talks with Mikel Arteta.
David Ornstein reported for The Athletic on Sunday that Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal are pursuing a deal to sign Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal this summer.
Ornstein added that Al Hilal are also in talks with Martinelli’s camp over the proposed move, with the Gunners seeking a fee in the region of £60m to complete the sale.
The report clarified that no agreement has been reached, but talks are ongoing. Crucially, the player is open to the possibility, having previously turned down a move to Galatasaray.
Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that Mikel Arteta has made it clear to Martinelli that the winger is not in his plans, which is potentially a factor in the player’s current willingness to move to Saudi Arabia.
Mokbel claims Al Hilal have communicated to Arsenal that they are willing to bid higher than the €45m Galatasaray offered, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll meet the Gunners’ asking price.
Ian Wright had been critical of Arsenal’s treatment of Martinelli in recent days, suggesting the club hadn’t informed the player of their stance on his transfer availability.
Arteta has definitely now spoken to the player on this subject, though it’s unclear whether that happened before or after Wright’s criticism.
Fabrizio Romano claims Al Hilal and Arsenal are in official club-to-club contact over the move, and that Martinelli has opened the door to the transfer.
As it stands, Romano believes Martinelli is ahead of Al Hilal’s alternative options Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao.
Romano reports that Al Hilal are also working on signing Ollie Watkins from Arsenal’s upcoming opponents Aston Villa.
There’s now just over a week for the Saudi Pro League club to agree deals for both targets ahead of transfer deadline day on September 1st.
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