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,”

Juventus have sent a clear message over Kenan Yıldız, with Luciano Spalletti insisting that Arsenal, or anyone else, can bid as much as they like without changing the club’s position this season.

The Arsenal pursuit comes after the club had also monitored Vinícius Júnior, while interest has been linked with Bradley Barcola and Morgan Rogers, who instead chose Chelsea. With the summer window closing in just nine days, Arsenal are still searching for a player who can improve a squad built around existing title winners and keep them moving towards a Premier League dynasty and Champions League success.

Spalletti made his view plain when speaking to reporters in Italy.

“I experience it calmly because the player is Yıldız. From my point of view, it’s simple, they can offer whatever they want,” Spalletti told reporters in Italy.

“I want to be able to field Yıldız this season.”

Yıldız, still only 21, has become Juventus’ leading name over the past two seasons. The German-born winger left Bayern Munich in 2022 after a decade in their academy, joining Turin at 17 before establishing himself as a starter two years later.

Spalletti also stressed that the forward is not pushing to leave and that discussions around his future can be handled calmly.

“Yıldız is a guy who is perfect to have mature conversations with. And consequently, he knows very well that he shouldn’t rush anything, that he shouldn’t speed anything up. His future is already important at Juventus,” the manager explained.

“It’s not important because someone offers €100 million [$116.8 million, £85.6 million] or because there is a club that has the financial power to spend at this moment. He is already at the club that offers €100 million for him. So, we are all very calm.”

For Arsenal, the task is straightforward but difficult: find an upgrade on Martinelli before time runs out, and do so only if the Brazilian leaves.

Arsenal’s first Premier League home game after lifting the title carried echoes of the old tension, but the feeling around the club has clearly changed. Ninety-five days after their previous competitive outing at the Emirates, the champions returned against Coventry City and the telling moments suggested a team and support that have moved on in important ways.

The final home match of last season, against Burnley, had been played in an atmosphere of strain. With the title race still tight, every passage of play felt loaded, every set piece drew fresh noise, and Mikel Arteta was visibly caught up in the urgency of the occasion. Once the breakthrough came, the mood shifted from fury to anxious clock-watching.

This time, the environment was different. The celebration around the title had eased the pressure, and Arteta admitted as much when he said, “It was a joy,”. He has worked hard to improve the mood around the stadium, but the simplest explanation may be the most accurate: winning the league changed everything.

On the field, Christos Tzolis made an immediate impression. His first Premier League start for Arsenal came after a winding career path that included Norwich City, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium before this summer’s move from Club Brugge. The $45.7 million recruit showed why Arsenal trusted him, contributing to two goals. He helped win the ball for Riccardo Calafiori’s cross that set up Kai Havertz, then delivered the low pass that led to Bukayo Saka’s finish.

Arsenal’s attack remains heavily tilted to the right, with Saka at the centre of most forward movement. But the return of strong connections on that side, especially between Martin Ødegaard, Saka and White, gives the team another layer. Their third goal underlined that balance, with Ødegaard, Saka and White combining before Ødegaard finished after White’s run.

The final detail of the night came from the old set-piece strength, updated for new 2026-27 rules. Howard Webb had promised “fewer warnings, more actions penalized” for holding at dead balls, so Nicolas Jover responded with a different idea: play it short.