Arsenal have opened transfer talks with Galatasaray over a potential move for Gabriel Martinelli, who has entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The 25-year-old Brazilian lost his starting spot to Leandro Trossard last season. Trossard has since joined Besiktas, while Christos Tzolis arrived in a £34million deal from Club Brugge, and the Gunners are still looking for a new left winger.
Negotiations underway
According to football.london, Arsenal are in negotiations with Galatasaray over a fee for Martinelli, following an enquiry from the Turkish Super Lig side over the weekend.
However, no deal will be approved until Arsenal secure a left wing signing themselves, having missed out on Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior.
Tzolis has been Arsenal's first-choice on the left flank during pre-season, scoring against Girona on his debut and providing an assist from a corner against Real Betis. He also set up the Gunners' second goal in their 3-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
Martinelli's situation
Martinelli was absent from Arsenal's opening pre-season fixture at Girona but has since come off the bench against Betis and Dortmund. He appeared for the final 12 minutes in the defeat to the German side and netted in the subsequent Emirates Cup penalty shootout.
Speaking after the Dortmund match, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the club remain busy in the transfer market. "Well, that's what we're trying to do (sign more players)," he said. "It has to be the right player in the market to make us much better. We are very much looking forward to that."
Record sale potential
Arsenal signed Martinelli for just £6m in 2019, and he has since made 278 appearances, scoring 62 goals. However, he struggled last season, losing his regular starting berth to Trossard.
Belgian international Trossard delivered several standout moments for Mikel Arteta's side on the road to the Premier League title, before being sold for £15.3m to Besiktas. Martinelli could follow his team-mate to Turkey with a move to Galatasaray, albeit for a considerably larger fee.
While no precise transfer figure has been suggested for Martinelli, his age and profile would command a higher price than Trossard. Galatasaray are also in discussions with AC Milan regarding a transfer for winger Rafael Leao, with a £43m price tag under consideration.
Should Arsenal secure a comparable sum for Martinelli, it would surpass the club's existing record sale, which saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain join Liverpool for £35m in 2019.
