Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli rejects €45M bid from Galatasaray

Galatasaray came to the table with a €45 million offer for Gabriel Martinelli. Martinelli’s camp essentially said “thanks, but absolutely not.” The Turkish giants lodged a formal bid for the Arsenal winger this week, making the 25-year-old Brazilian their top transfer target. But Martinelli’s representatives wasted little time shutting the door, making it known that the player has zero interest in a move to Turkey. He’d rather stay at the Emirates or, if a departure ever materializes, join a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The numbers behind the non-starter Galatasaray’s €45 million offer, roughly £38.5 million, represents a substantial return on a player Arsenal signed from Brazilian club Ituano back in July 2019 for just £6 million. The winger is under contract at Arsenal until June 30, 2027, with an option for a one-year extension baked in. He earns approximately £180,000 per week. Those two facts alone give Arsenal an enormous amount of leverage in any negotiation, because there’s no urgency to sell and no financial pressure to accept a below-market bid. Arsenal reportedly values Martinelli closer to €60 million if they were to entertain any sale at all. That €15 mill...