Arsenal have set an asking price of £60m for Gabriel Martinelli amid an approach from Al-Hilal.
Arsenal are willing to let Martinelli leave the club this summer with the Brazilian having fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta. Martinelli made only 11 league starts last season and was not included in the squad for the Community Shield orPremier League opener against Coventry City on Friday night.
Galatasaray failed with an offer of around €45m (£38.4m) earlier in the transfer window, while Martinelli was reluctant to leave thePremier League for Turkey.
According toThe Athletic, Al-Hilal are now pushing for a deal. No agreement has been reached between the two clubs, or between the Saudi side and Martinelli, but talks are ongoing. Martinelli is understood to be open to the prospect of a move to the Saudi Pro League.
The 25-year-old's contract at Arsenal expires in 2027 and the Gunners are ready to sell now to recoup a fee. The North Londoners have signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge as a left-wing option, and remain interested in adding another forward before next week's deadline.
On Friday, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright criticised the club's treatment of Martinelli.
"In respects to Martinelli and the way Martinelli has been treated at the moment it really makes me feel uncomfortable," Wright told Sky Sports after Arsenal’s win over Coventry.
"Because he always gives 100 per cent, I’m not saying he’s the greatest, he’s really come up with some big moments for Arsenal, some big games, he’s scored some very important goals… the way he’s been treated at the end here, I know they might want him out, and there’s a lot of people saying, ‘yeah, maybe it’s time for him to move on’, but there’s ways of doing that and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave.
"Not being in the squad, not being spoken to, doesn’t know what’s going on, yes, I do know this, again, not being involved in the Community Shield squad, he doesn’t know what’s happening, I think he’s got a year left [on his contract].
"If you bring Vini [Vinicius Junior] in, that kind of level in, Martinelli can say to himself, ‘well, okay, they’ve brought him and Tzolis, I might be third [choice]’, but if you’re bringing Tzolis in, and he’s looking at Tzolis, you look at Madueke on the other [wing], you’re thinking to yourself, ‘I think I can still have it with these two, I still think I’ve got something to offer here’.
"For him to be nowhere near it, it makes me feel sad for him.
"I’m just saying I think he’s done enough with this team, with this squad, to be treated with a little bit more respect than he’s being treated at the moment."
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