Martinelli Declines Galatasaray Move Amid Arsenal's Summer Sales

Gabriel Martinelli has made his stance clear. He is not leaving Arsenal for Galatasaray.

The Brazilian winger’s camp have informed Arsenal’s hierarchy that he has no intention of joining the Turkish champions in this transfer window, despite a sizeable offer on the table.

According to The Athletic, Galatasaray have submitted a bid worth €45 million, around £38.4 million, to lure Martinelli away from north London. Arsenal are listening. The player is not.

Long contract, no talks, no desire to go

Martinelli is tied to Arsenal until 2027, with the club holding an option to extend that deal by a further year to 2028. Despite that security, there have been no talks yet over a fresh renewal.

At 25, he sits in that awkward bracket: valuable enough to attract serious money, important enough that any sale would hurt, and yet one of the names Arsenal are prepared to consider offers for if the numbers are right. The board are open to scenarios. Martinelli is not. He wants to stay.

Signed from Ituano in 2019, he has grown from raw prospect into a regular in a title-winning side. Across 278 first-team appearances, he has scored 62 goals, carving out a reputation as a relentless, direct wide threat.

Last season underlined that status. Martinelli played 53 matches in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and supplying 7 assists as Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy and reached the Champions League final. Those are not the numbers of a fringe player.

Arsenal need sales, but not at any cost

This summer started with a blunt reality inside the Emirates: players had to be sold to keep the books balanced.

Leandro Trossard has already departed, joining Besiktas in a €20 million deal. Christian Norgaard has moved to Everton for £7 million. Useful money, but not enough. Arsenal still believe more outgoings are required before the window closes.

That financial backdrop explains why a €45 million offer for a winger is at least being discussed internally. It does not mean Arsenal will push a player out of the door against his will, especially one who has just helped drive a title charge.

New faces on the flank, same answer from Martinelli

The competition around Martinelli has sharpened. Arsenal have brought in Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, adding another option out wide. They also explored a blockbuster move for Vinicius Junior before the Brazilian extended his contract with Real Madrid.

Those moves show how aggressively Arsenal want to refresh and deepen their attacking line. They do not change Martinelli’s position.

He has told the club, via his representatives, that Galatasaray is not his next step. Arsenal may still need a major sale. The question now is whether they are willing to cash in on one of their champions, or find the money elsewhere as they chase the next leap in this project.