Report: Arsenal attacker could be set for £60m move

Arsenal’s early-season team news has already prompted one of the more intriguing talking points of the window, with Gabriel Martinelli absent from successive matchday squads and fresh scrutiny now building around his future. According to Standard, Al Hilal are pursuing a deal for the Brazil international, a development that places added focus on Mikel Arteta’s squad management and Arsenal’s wider transfer planning.

Martinelli’s omission from the Community Shield against Manchester City drew attention, and his continued absence for the Premier League opener against newly promoted Coventry City only deepened the discussion. Arteta made changes to his starting side, bringing in Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, yet Martinelli remained out of the 20-man matchday squad. He was joined by other senior names, including Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson.

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There is no indication of an injury issue. The explanation, as Arteta has previously outlined, centres on Premier League squad restrictions. The Arsenal manager has made clear that the current cap on available outfield players leaves coaches in a difficult position across a packed schedule. As he put it, “I’ve been trying to persuade the Premier League and the clubs to be able to extend the number of players that we can have, especially the outfield players in the squads because we play more and more games and the load is unreal, and not giving the chance to those players to be able to be here to participate because maybe it demands the qualities of one of those players and we don’t have them available.”

He added, “It’s just a shame so it’s the most difficult part of the job but there’s nothing to do with that, it’s just a fact that we can bring 18 outfield players and we believe that for today’s game these were the options that we needed, especially with the physical condition of certain players.”

Even so, timing matters in football. When a player of Martinelli’s profile is omitted twice at the start of a season and a serious overseas suitor is in active talks, those strands inevitably become linked. Standard report that Arsenal value Martinelli at £60 million. He has one year remaining on his current deal, although the club hold an option to extend by a further 12 months, which protects their position to a degree in any negotiation.

From Arsenal’s side, this feels less like a forced sale and more like a situation being assessed on market terms. If Al Hilal are prepared to meet the club’s valuation, movement before Deadline Day cannot be discounted.

From an expectant Arsenal supporter’s perspective, this is one of those updates that makes complete sense on paper but still feels slightly uncomfortable. Martinelli has been a huge part of the journey under Arteta. At his best, he brings direct running, aggression, intensity and a goal threat that changes the speed of Arsenal’s attack in an instant.

That said, football moves quickly and elite squads evolve. If the staff genuinely believe he is no longer guaranteed to be a key starter, and if a club is willing to pay £60 million, then it becomes a serious conversation. Arsenal have to be ruthless when required. The best teams refresh before decline sets in, not after.

The concern for fans would be what comes next. Selling Martinelli late in the window only works if Arsenal already have a clear replacement plan, whether that means a left-sided forward with greater output or a more versatile attacking option who better suits the current structure. Letting a player like him go without that certainty would feel risky.

There is also the emotional side. Supporters know what Martinelli can be when fully firing. Many would still back him to rediscover top form in north London. So while a sale could be logical financially, it would need to strengthen Arsenal immediately and decisively. Otherwise, this is the kind of exit that could be revisited all season.

Source: Standard