Gabriel Martinelli has moved closer to an Arsenal exit after becoming the latest player to clash with Mikel Arteta’s uncompromising approach to squad management.

Reports now suggest the Brazil international is “open” to leaving the Premier League champions, after Arteta made clear where he believes the winger stands in the pecking order this season. The Arsenal manager has shown little flexibility, leaving Martinelli out of the matchday squad for the first two games of the new campaign while the player has continued training with the first team.

Dialogue between the pair has reportedly been limited, but the message from the club remains plain: Martinelli’s future is likely elsewhere. That marks a change in stance for the 25-year-old, who had previously resisted interest from Turkish champions Galatasaray. At that stage, he was said to be prioritising a move to one of Europe’s leading clubs if his prospects in north London disappeared.

His omission from Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Coventry City appears to have sharpened the situation further. The Athletic reported that Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal have now entered the picture and that Martinelli is “open to the possibility.” Arsenal are also understood to be prepared to do business for about $81.8 million (£60 million). Fabrizio Romano later added that “official club-to-club contact” has already been made.

Martinelli would not be the first high-profile Arsenal player to fall out of favour under Arteta. The manager’s tenure has been marked by the departures of Mesut Özil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Emi Martínez, Nicolas Pépé, Bernd Leno, Mattéo Guendouzi and Aaron Ramsdale, among others.

Arsenal have often accepted those exits despite financial damage, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s $47.2 million move to Liverpool in 2017 still their record sale. Martinelli could surpass that figure if a transfer is completed.

The club have already invested more than $260 million on four first-team arrivals this summer, and Arteta and chief executive Richard Garlick have said Arsenal will only pursue players who can “change the dial.” As Arteta put it: “I think for the margins to improve, there are very few players in the market that are available to do that and bring that to the club,”

Arsenal opened the 2026/27 Premier League season with a controlled and convincing win, while Coventry were left with little to take from their return to the top flight. The visitors had not played at this level for 25 years, but the gap between the sides was clear from the outset in north London.

The breakthrough arrived after 15 minutes when Kai Havertz finished neatly with his left foot after Riccardo Calafiori delivered the cross. Eight minutes later, Bukayo Saka doubled the lead by staying unmarked at the far post and turning in the rebound. Martin Ødegaard then added the third in the 49th minute, with his effort from inside the box somehow squeezing past the goalkeeper.

Arsenal were rarely troubled and the result only strengthened the sense that the champions have begun the new campaign in the same form that carried them to the title last season. They had already beaten Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield, and this latest win meant they have now scored six goals without conceding across their last two matches.

There was also encouragement in the shape of the familiar core that powered Arsenal’s recent success. The side looked sharp despite the long break, and they did so without any visible signs of rust. Bukayo Saka summed up the mood at half-time when he told Sky Sports: “This is the Arsenal we want to see this season,”

Mikel Arteta will also be pleased with the direction of the squad as it waits for William Saliba and Jurriën Timber to return, while Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimarães are also expected back from injury.

A number of individual performances stood out too. David Raya was untested, Ben White grew into the game and assisted the third goal, and Cristhian Mosquera continued to look reliable in William Saliba’s absence. Havertz justified his start over Viktor Gyökeres with another goal, while Saka and Ødegaard carried the main attacking threat.

Bruno Guimarães will not make his Premier League debut for Arsenal against Coventry City after an injury ruled him out of Friday’s season opener.

There had been growing concern over his fitness before the Emirates fixture, and Mikel Arteta did little to shut down the speculation when he spoke on Thursday. The Arsenal manager stopped short of declaring the midfielder fit, saying: “Let’s see how he is,” and adding: “He’s evolving really well, but let’s see for tomorrow.”

By the time the teams were announced an hour before kickoff, Guimarães was not in the matchday squad.

Arteta’s starting lineup featured David Raya in goal, with Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori across the defence. Martin Ødegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice were named in midfield, while Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis formed the front line.

On the bench were Kepa Arrizabalaga, Piero Hincapié, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi and Max Dowman.

In Guimarães’s place, Arteta chose the same alteration he had used in the Community Shield by turning to Declan Rice. That decision may not be viewed as a major compromise, given Rice’s standing, but Lewis-Skelly’s continued role remains one of the more notable details of the selection.

Martín Zubimendi, meanwhile, appears to be waiting in reserve after a difficult finish to last season. Arteta acknowledged as much this week, saying: “At the end, he didn’t play that much,” before adding: “He still played some important minutes, but no-one can neglect what he did and how important he is for us.”

For now, the timeline for Guimarães’s return is unclear. Luke Edwards of The Telegraph was the first to suggest the 28-year-old could be out for “a few weeks,” though that has not been confirmed.

Arsenal’s early schedule is already demanding. After Coventry, they face Aston Villa away, Chelsea at home, a Champions League fixture in the first round of league phase matches, and then Sunderland away. The next few weeks offer little room for error as the season takes shape.