By London Daily Post Sports Desk | April 2026 | Arsenal Transfer News
Arsenal are set to reshape their attack this summer in what could be the most dramatic double transfer move of the window, selling fan favourite Gabriel Martinelli for £50 million to fund a blockbuster bid for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Gunners want a world-class left winger, and the painful decision to part ways with Martinelli is the key to making it happen.
KEY FACTS AT A GLANCE
Martinelli asking price: £50 million
Kvaratskhelia PSG valuation: £160m+ (€185m)
Martinelli contract expires: Summer 2027 (with 1-year extension option)
Kvaratskhelia PSG contract runs to: Summer 2029
Clubs chasing Martinelli: Atletico Madrid, Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Marseille, Al-Nassr
Arsenal transfer record: Set to be broken if Kvara deal happens
Why Arsenal’s Left Wing Is Broken — and Needs an Emergency Fix
Mikel Arteta has been quietly frustrated by Arsenal’s left-side output for the better part of two seasons. Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, the two players most frequently used in that position, both have just one year remaining on their contracts. Neither has delivered the individual brilliance a title-challenging squad demands.
Saka, Trossard, and Eze each made over 40 appearances this season without reaching double-digit goals or assists. For a club competing for the Premier League and Champions League, the numbers are simply not good enough.
Arteta wants a finished product, an elite, proven match-winner, not a development project. That profile points directly to one man.
Martinelli Out: The Painful Logic Behind Selling Arsenal’s Brazilian
From breakthrough star to bench player
Gabriel Martinelli, 24, burst onto the scene as one of the most exciting young attackers in European football. His partnership with Bukayo Saka felt like it could define Arsenal’s next decade. But that promise has not been fulfilled.
This season, Martinelli has scored just one Premier League goal. He has regularly been used as a substitute behind Trossard and is no longer guaranteed a starting place under Arteta. The manager needs better, and the squad’s depth means there is no room to carry passengers, however popular.
Arsenal’s financial situation leaves no other choice
Arsenal spent over €300 million in the last financial year. Premier League and UEFA Squad Cost Ratio rules now demand that the club balance its books before making further major signings. The permanent acquisition of Piero Hincapié adds a further €52 million to the bill.
Among the five players most at risk of being sold this summer, which includes Martin Odegaard and Ben White, Martinelli is described by multiple outlets as the prime candidate. His age, market value, and contract situation make him the most straightforward sale Arsenal can make.
The contract detail that gives Arsenal full control
Martinelli’s deal runs until 2027, with Arsenal holding a one-year extension option. The club is under no pressure to accept a low bid. Sources indicate that serious offers of around £50 million or above will be listened to — and four European clubs are already circling.
Who Wants Martinelli? Four Clubs Join the Race
Atletico Madrid — leading the chase
Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are understood to be the most advanced suitor. Diego Simeone’s side has made concrete enquiries and is reportedly exploring a double raid on Arsenal, with Martinelli potentially part of a deal that also involves Gabriel Jesus. Atletico need attacking reinforcements ahead of their La Liga and Champions League campaigns.
German and French interest grows
Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Marseille are all closely monitoring the situation. Each club views the Brazilian as a dynamic, high-energy signing who offers pace, directness, and a proven Champions League pedigree — at a fair price for a player of his calibre.
Saudi Arabia remains a wildcard
Al-Nassr has also registered interest. Martinelli was previously reluctant to consider the Saudi Pro League, but with the 2026 World Cup approaching and his need for guaranteed first-team minutes, sources suggest his stance may have softened.
What Martinelli wants
Reports indicate Martinelli has one clear priority: Champions League football as a starter, not a squad option. He remains professional and ambitious, with no reported fallout with Arteta or the club. This departure, if it happens, is driven by opportunity, not by failure.
Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad selection casts a long shadow. Without regular first-team minutes at the club level between now and the tournament, his international chances diminish significantly. That reality is a major factor in his decision-making.
Kvaratskhelia In: The Dream Signing That Changes Everything
Why Arteta wants him above all others
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 25, is widely regarded as one of the finest one-versus-one players in world football. PSG signed him from Napoli in January 2025, and he immediately became central to Luis Enrique’s attacking plans, finishing the season as part of the squad that won PSG’s first-ever Champions League title.
This season, he has 12 goals and 7 assists for PSG, elite numbers from a left-wing position. Most strikingly, he scored three times in a single Champions League game against Chelsea in the last 16, proving his quality translates directly against Premier League opposition.
Georgia’s national team captain brings the kind of big-game mentality Arsenal have been missing on the left side. Paired with Bukayo Saka on the right and Viktor Gyokeres through the middle, his arrival would create one of the most frightening attacking units in Premier League history.
The obstacles are enormous — but not impossible
Arsenal’s interest is genuine. According to The Independent, the club has been investigating an approach, and sources close to Kvaratskhelia indicate his camp is open to a move to the Emirates Stadium. That is the first positive signal.
However, PSG’s position is clear. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano confirmed the French club’s answer on any potential sale is unambiguous: they are not looking to sell. Kvaratskhelia joined only 14 months ago, is under contract until 2029, and PSG’s Qatari ownership faces no financial pressure whatsoever to part with him.
TEAMtalk sources report that Kvaratskhelia is happy in Paris and has no active desire to leave. Should PSG ever change their stance, their asking price would be in the region of £160 million (€185m) — a figure that would comfortably surpass Arsenal’s current transfer record.
Arsenal’s smart background move
While the deal looks difficult on paper, Arsenal are making quiet preparations. The club is in advanced talks to hire Maurizio Micheli. The Napoli head of scouting, who first discovered Kvaratskhelia, is part of a recruitment rebuild under sporting director Andrea Berta. It is a subtle but telling signal of intent.
If Not Kvaratskhelia — Who Else Is on the List?
Anthony Gordon — the realistic Premier League option
Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, 25, has emerged as one of Arsenal’s most attainable targets. Former Arsenal winger Anders Limpar has publicly endorsed the move, calling Gordon one of the best players in the Premier League given his pace, work rate, and England international status. A fee of around £60 million is anticipated.
Yan Diomande, the future investment
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, 19, is another name under serious consideration. Valued at around £47 million, the Ivorian winger has drawn interest from Liverpool and Manchester United as well as Arsenal — making a swift decision essential if the Gunners are to get ahead of their rivals.
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The Big Picture: What This All Means for Arsenal’s Summer
Arsenal’s summer transfer strategy is becoming clear. Sell Martinelli a beloved but underperforming asset — and use the funds to chase the elite left winger the squad has been crying out for. Whether that is Kvaratskhelia, Gordon, or Diomande depends on how the next eight weeks unfold.
The Kvaratskhelia pursuit remains a long shot at current prices, but football transfers rarely follow logic in the final weeks of a window. PSG have surprised clubs before. Arsenal have the ambition, the sporting director, and, if Martinelli goes, the financial headroom to make a serious offer.
What is certain is that Arteta will not enter next season with the same left-wing options he has now. Change is coming. The question is how big that change will be.
