Arsenal are close to an agreement with Al Hilal for the transfer of Gabriel Martinelli, with the Gunners also looking to include a sell-on clause in the deal.
James Benge reports for CBS Sports that Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal have offered Gabriel Martinelli €20m (£17.1m) a year plus bonuses, with club-to-club talks also progressing positively.
At this stage, Benge writes that there is only a gap of €8m (£6.8m) between Arsenal and Al Hilal’s proposed transfer fees. The Gunners are also looking to include a sell-on clause in the deal.
Benge adds that Martinelli is now understood to be more open to a move away from Arsenal, and the transfer would almost double his pre-tax earnings.
The Athletic are still reporting that Arsenal want around £60m for Martinelli, adding that he’s indeed open to the possibility of the transfer.
Whilst Arsenal would be making a massive profit on Martinelli’s transfer, having signed him for around £6m and looking to sell for 10 times that amount, football insider HandofArsenal notes that some of that profit will be going elsewhere.
Martinelli’s former club Ituano reportedly have a sell-on clause of their own, and they’re expected to receive 15-20% of the profit from Arsenal’s sale. That’s likely part of the reason Arsenal are now trying to include a similar clause in the Al-Hilal deal.
Martinelli has been a key player for Arsenal over the last seven years, making 278 appearances and scoring 62 goals from his spot on the left wing.
The 25-year-old has won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Community Shield, and he extended his contract on a couple of occasions amid intense interest from elsewhere.
But the last couple of weeks have made it clear Mikel Arteta no longer intends to give the winger significant minutes, leaving him out of the matchday squads against Manchester City and Coventry City.
If Martinelli now departs, he can do so knowing for certain that he provided huge value to Arsenal Football Club, and that the fans will always hold him in their hearts.
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