Arsenal set to confirm £80m sales, opens door to major late signing
Arsenal are set to confirm the departures of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Fabio Vieira, completing a significant late-window clear-out that could generate approximately £80million in transfer fees.
Andrea Berta has received plenty of criticism for Arsenal’s work in the transfer market, particularly when it comes to moving unwanted players on. However, the deals negotiated for Jesus and Martinelli should be viewed as two significant successes.
Martinelli is expected to leave for a fixed fee of around £60million, representing a major profit on a player Arsenal originally signed for just £6million. There has also been a suggestion that the agreement could contain a sell-on clause similar to the one included in the Jesus deal (20%), potentially giving the Gunners some protection or future upside.
Jesus’ departure is equally important. Arsenal were unlikely to generate an enormous fee for a 29-year-old forward entering the final year of his contract, particularly given his injury record and £250,000-a-week salary. Securing a respectable package while removing those wages from the books represents strong business.
Between Martinelli and Jesus alone, Arsenal are clearing approximately £430,000 per week from their wage bill. Vieira’s expected exit will take the total transfer income from the three deals to around £80million, while Reiss Nelson’s release means the club will have removed close to £600,000 per week in wages across the wider attacking four man clear-out.
These are the kinds of difficult decisions Arsenal needed to make. Martinelli has been a valuable player, but his development had started to stagnate, while Jesus, Vieira and Nelson were no longer central to Mikel Arteta’s plans.
The focus now turns towards what Arsenal do with the additional financial flexibility.
Once the late sales are accounted for, Arsenal’s total net spend this summer is expected to sit at little more than £50million. For a club looking to defend its Premier League title and compete for the Champions League, that is a relatively modest figure.
With only 36 hours remaining in the transfer window, could Arsenal now dip back into the market for one major signing?
The departures leave Arteta lighter in attack, but they also provide the space and resources required to add another elite forward. If an unexpected opportunity emerges, particularly involving a player such as Julian Alvarez, Arsenal will be in a position to act.
Berta has done the difficult part by generating money and clearing substantial wages. The final challenge is deciding whether to reinvest immediately and finish the window with a statement signing.
