Gabriel Martinelli is set to become Arsenal's biggest sale after the club agreed a club-record £55.7m fee with Al-Hilal Saudi FC and gave him permission for a medical. The move would beat the £40m Arsenal received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the summer of 2017. Mikel Arteta's message is that the club can sell, but only if the balance stays right.
Arteta's line on the exits
Arteta's comments were aimed at the wider window as much as Martinelli alone. "There are areas that we have to improve to hit those numbers. And if it's not with sales, because maybe we don't want... We have to sell what we want to sell as well, not just to sell," he said at his press conference.
He also said: "That's another personal situation that we're dealing with. I think everybody knows and recognises how much we love Gabi. Whatever the outcome is, it will be because everybody agrees to that."
That is where Arsenal's approach looks different from a straight clear-out. Arteta wants the club to be stronger financially, but he is also warning against moving players whose value may still rise.
Arsenal's 85 points in 2025 and their +44 goal difference show why this is a delicate call. This is a squad that finished first in the league, not one being stripped back from a weak position.
Martinelli, Jesus and Vieira
Martinelli's sale would become the club's largest ever outgoing and would reset Arsenal's transfer benchmark in one deal. The previous mark was the £40m move for Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017, a figure that has stood for years.
The rest of the window points in the same direction. Gabriel Jesus has an £8.6m deal in principle with Barcelona, while Fabio Vieira is also agreed to head to Hamburg for around £7.7m.
Arteta's caution also fits the way he described squad building. "Because I think every squad needs more than 20 outfield players, ideally, to sustain the level of demand in international games that we have," he said. Arsenal are not just trying to trim numbers, they are deciding which players still belong in the long-term plan.
Jesus' case helps explain why that judgment is not automatic. He joined Arsenal from Manchester City in a £45m deal four years ago, has scored 32 goals in 123 appearances, and managed just three Premier League starts last season after a knee injury in a January 2025 FA Cup tie against Manchester United. Martinelli is not being sold because of poor form either, with his 7.05 rating in the current World Cup sample sitting alongside four appearances.
Arsenal still need the paperwork to catch up with the agreements, but the shape of the window is already clear: Martinelli looks set for a club-record move, Jesus is close to Barcelona, and Vieira is on his way out as well.
FAQ
Why are Arsenal selling Gabriel Martinelli and other forwards now?
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are trying to improve financially while keeping the balance right. He said the club must sell what it wants to sell, not just sell for the sake of it, and that some assets may still be wanted later. Martinelli's move to Al-Hilal is set to be a club-record sale at £55.7m.
Is Gabriel Martinelli already sold to Al-Hilal?
Not yet. Arsenal have agreed a club-record £55.7m fee with Al-Hilal and Martinelli has been given permission to have a medical, but the move is not being described as formally completed.
Has Gabriel Jesus completed a move to Barcelona?
No. Arsenal have agreed an £8.6m deal in principle with Barcelona for Gabriel Jesus, but the sources stop short of saying the move is finished.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
