Gabriel Martinelli is not pushing to leave Arsenal, but the evidence suggests that Arsenal are increasingly willing to leave him behind.
The Brazilian rejected the opportunity to join Galatasaray after the Turkish champions submitted an offer worth €45 million. That decision was entirely understandable. Martinelli is only 25, has just helped Arsenal win the Premier League and remains under contract until 2027.
A move to Turkey might have felt like a premature retreat from the highest level.
Interest from Al Hilal presents a different proposition, particularly if the Saudi club is prepared to make Arsenal a significantly improved offer. The money on offer to Martinelli would presumably be considerable, while Arsenal need to generate substantial funds through player sales before the transfer window closes.
This is no longer simply a question of whether Martinelli wants to leave. It is about whether Mikel Arteta still sees a meaningful place for him.
His absence from the matchday squads against Manchester City in the Community Shield and Coventry City in the Premier League opener was striking. One omission might have been dismissed as a fitness issue or tactical decision. Two consecutive omissions look much more like a message.
Arsenal have already changed the composition of their attack. Christos Tzolis has arrived from Club Brugge and made an immediate impact, while the club’s interest in Vinicius Junior showed the level of left winger they were prepared to pursue. Leandro Trossard has departed for Besiktas, but that has not necessarily created a pathway back into the side for Martinelli.
It would be a sad conclusion to what has largely been a wonderful Arsenal story.
Martinelli arrived from Ituano in 2019 as a relatively unknown teenager and quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young players in English football. His pace, directness and relentless energy made him a natural favourite. Few supporters will forget his outstanding contribution during the early years of Arteta’s rebuild.
He has now made 278 appearances and scored 62 goals for Arsenal. Last season alone, he featured 53 times as the club finally reclaimed the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final.
Those numbers make his sudden disappearance from the squad appear particularly brutal. But Arsenal cannot allow sentiment to dictate their decisions.
Martinelli has not always developed with the consistency once expected of him. He can still be devastating when given space, but his influence against deep defensive lines remains unpredictable. If Tzolis is now Arteta’s preferred option and Martinelli is no longer even guaranteed a place among the substitutes, keeping him would serve nobody.
Arsenal entered the summer knowing that player trading would be essential. The sales of Trossard and Christian Norgaard have raised useful money, but they will not be enough on their own. Martinelli is one of the few potentially available players capable of commanding a genuinely substantial fee.
That does not mean Arsenal should accept the first offer that arrives. Galatasaray’s €45 million bid was not compelling enough for a player of Martinelli’s age, experience and contractual position. Al Hilal would need to pay a premium, especially because Arsenal hold the option to extend his contract until 2028.
If that premium is offered, Arsenal should take it.
Martinelli has been a fine servant to the club and deserves to be remembered warmly. But two major matches have now passed without him making the squad. Unless that situation changes quickly, the direction of travel is obvious.
The boy from Ituano helped Arsenal complete their journey back to the summit. He may now have reached the end of his own journey in north London.
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