Arsenal selling Gabriel Martinelli to Saudi Arabia could have a crucial extra advantage

Gabriel Martinelli is close to joining Al Hilal for a fee over £50million.

It would be a significant sale for Arsenal, whose record sale is still the £35million Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain deal in 2017.

It would also be one that represents pure profit on the books given Martinelli’s book value is zero as he is classed as a homegrown player.

That is especially beneficial when navigating PSR, and the club will also be getting £180,000-a-week wages off the books.

Along with the expected outgoings of Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Jesus, it would free up funds for the final attacking addition Arsenal are still pursuing.

But there is another reason this deal could be so important to Arsenal’s long-term strategic thinking.

And that is building a relationship with clubs from the Saudi Pro League.

Gabriel Martinelli sale could be the start of a relationship between Arsenal and Saudi Arabia clubs

Arsenal have approached this summer window in clear win-now mode. Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa are both 28.

These are players being brought in to win trophies now, and aren’t exactly expected to have much resale value.

But Saudi Arabia could be a future destination for them, as well as other players in the squad approaching 30, that the club will inevitably look to move on in the next two or three years.

Where do elite players in their early thirties go when they leave top Premier League clubs? Increasingly, Saudi Arabia.

And the clubs that have built relationships there, that have done business, are the ones who will find those exits easiest to navigate when the time comes.

Arsenal are arguably the only major Premier League club who have not yet significantly benefited from the Saudi boom.

Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have all sold players there for major fees. The Martinelli deal could be the first of many for Arsenal.

Why Arsenal shouldn’t haggle too hard over the money for Gabriel Martinelli

Inexplicably, Manchester City just sold Savinho to Tottenham for £85million. Based on that, £50million for Martinelli is low in this market, and Arsenal could dig their heels in and push for more.

But that could prove to be a mistake down the line.

Taking the money, building goodwill with Al Hilal, and returning to them in two or three years when they have another player who needs an exit route is worth considerably more in the long run than squeezing an extra £5million out of this particular deal.

Saudi Arabia could be an especially useful partner for Arsenal in the transfer market, and the Martinelli deal can be the first step in building that partnership.

Take the deal. Come back again. That is how you build something sustainable.