Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli turned down Turkey, but Napoli and Roma have picked up the file in Italy

Arteta told Martinelli he could leave this summer and Arsenal are open to selling at the right price. Galatasaray acted on 12 August with €45m (£38.4m), enough to break the club's sale record, but the Brazilian's camp let it be known on 14 August that he does not want Turkey at this stage of his career — Ornstein, Romano and Plettenberg all reported it the same day. The Turkish club have switched to Rafael Leão. Roma and Juventus are still hovering without having lodged an offer, the former held back by wages of around €7m a year. Arsenal also stand by their July condition: nobody leaves before a left winger is signed, and that search has stalled since Vinícius Júnior extended at Real.

Latest development

**UPDATE 16/08 (evening) — absent in Cardiff while Napoli push on.** Martinelli was not in the Community Shield squad against Manchester City, along with Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri. Mikel Arteta put the three absences down to the cap on registered players, something he says he wants to raise with the Premier League — the explanation is his, it is not confirmation of an exit, but it lands on the day CaughtOffside reports dialogue is under way with a top club over his departure. In Italy, Roma are still tracking him and his absence was noted as such by the Italian press. Nothing has changed on the substance since this morning: Napoli and Arsenal are talking, Arsenal value him at £51.3m, no Italian offer has been lodged and his refusal of Turkey stands. The file stays at talks. **UPDATE 16/08 — the trail reopens through Italy.** Turning Galatasaray down did not close the file: Gianluigi Longari (Sport Italia) wrote on 15 August that talks are under way between Napoli and Arsenal, and CaughtOffside reported on the 16th that a dialogue is open with a big club. Roma, for their part, had opened contacts with the player's camp as early as 11 August. What is established: Arsenal are willing to listen, value the winger at around £51.3m (Ornstein's figure, already used against Galatasaray) and Martinelli is entering the final year of his deal, with a one-year option. What is not: that any Italian bid exists, or that the player has said yes to anyone. No top-tier source has picked up the Napoli or Roma angle, so the file stays capped at "one to watch". The underlying blocker is unchanged: Arsenal will not sell without first securing a winger. **Update 18/08 — one more name, of the very type he has just turned down.** Al-Sadd, of Qatar, are reported as interested in the winger. Coming four days after the flat refusal handed to Galatasaray, the trail starts a long way back: Martinelli and his camp have already made clear he would only leave Arsenal for a major European league. No bid, no top-tier source. Status unchanged.