EXCLUSIVE: Napoli in Gabriel Martinelli talks as Arsenal stance confirmed

16 Aug 2026 19:05 BST | 4 min read

Steve Kay | Editor

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Napoli are in talks over a possible summer swoop for Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, FootballTransfers can confirm.

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The Brazil international, who made four appearances at this summer’s World Cup, has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium and he has been heavily linked with a summer exit amid interest from multiple clubs across Europe.

Current ETV

Gabriel Martinelli

F, M (L)

Arsenal

Gabriel Martinelli

F, M (L)

Arsenal

ETV Range

€36.2M - €44.3M

Turkish giants Galatasaray are eager to finalise a deal for the 25-year-old, while FootballTransfers has been informed that Napoli have opened negotiations over a potential deal, with the Serie A giants currently in talks with an intermediary.

We understand that discussions are ongoing, although Arsenal will not sell Martinelli this summer unless they are able to find a suitable replacement before Transfer Deadline Day.

The Gunners have already signed Christos Tzolis as a replacement for the departed Leandro Trossard, but they missed out on key target Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, while Vinicius Junior opted to sign a lucrative new contract at Real Madrid rather than join the Gunners.

Athletic Club winger Nico Williams remains on Mikel Arteta’s radar, however we understand that he will not leave Spain this summer and Arsenal must therefore pursue an alternative target if they are to sanction the sale of Martinelli to Napoli.

Bradley Barcola is also appreciated, but Arsenal will not match Paris Saint-Germain’s current asking price of over €150 million.

Martinelli was omitted from Arsenal’s matchday squad for the Community Shield final versus Manchester City on Sunday, and we have been told that he is open to leaving Arsenal if an attractive offer arrives before the end of the window.

The Brazil attacker scored 11 goals in 53 games across all competitions for Arsenal last season, although he only netted once in the Premier League.

What has Mikel Arteta said?

Following Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Man City in the Community Shield on Sunday, Arteta was asked about the absences of Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, but he refused to confirm whether they would leave the club before Deadline Day.

“It’s really sad not to have the ability to and I’ve been fighting with the Premier League to extend and to accommodate more players in the squad because they deserve to be in the squad, there’s no question,” Arteta told TNT Sports.

“Ethan [Nwaneri] as well, Marli [Salmon] as well, who has been with us the whole of pre-season. So hopefully we can change that rule and players can enjoy being on the pitch and being an option to play and contribute to the team as much as possible.”

When asked directly if he believes they will still be at Arsenal when the window closes, Arteta replied: “Yes, they are all very important for us.”