Premier League champions Arsenal will hope to build on their opening day win over Coventry City when they face Aston Villa on Monday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side cruised to a 3-0 victory against Coventry on the opening day of the new campaign, and the Spaniard will expect to see his side get the better of the Villans at Villa Park. Ahead of Monday’s game, though, it has emerged that one member of Arteta’s squad could be on his way out of the club before the current transfer window ends. As per Fabrizio Romano, Saudi giants Al Hilal are close to agreeing a deal worth around £55 million for Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli. The Italian journalist claims that the Pro League side are close to reaching an agreement on a deal with the Gunners to sign the Brazilian. Martinelli has emerged as a target for Saudi side Al Hilal (Photo: Sportimage Ltd/Alamy)
Martinelli, 25, joined Arsenal from Brazilian outfit Ituano back in 2019 and has since progressed into the first team at The Emirates.
In total he has now played 278 times for the north London side across all competitions, scoring 62 goals and registering 36 assists. Last term, however, Martinelli started just 11 of Arsenal’s 38 games as they lifted the Premier League title, and he wasn’t involved in their opening day win over the Sky Blues on Friday.
Despite the two clubs being close to an agreement for Martinelli, Romano suggests that the likelihood of a deal now depends largely on whether or not the player himself agrees to the move. Martinelli’s current contract with Arsenal is set to run until the end of the current campaign, but it appears that he could leave the club before the end of the current window with Al Hilal close to agreeing a deal.
