With the summer transfer window set to close within the next two days, some significant news for Arsenal has emerged on Sunday as the exits of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Fabio Vieira have all been reported. Jesus will be joining Barcelona, while Martinelli is set to become Arsenal’s record transfer with a move to Saudi side Al Hilal. Vieira will return to Hamburg on a permanent move after a successful loan spell last season.
The Fabio Vieira move is one that has been in the making for
the last few seasons. He came into the Arsenal side from Porto in the 2022 summer window as an under-the-radar move with a high ceiling. While he displayed his technical quality at times, he just never seemed to adapt to the more physical nature of the Premier League, and he was soon in the window shop for the Gunners. A loan back to Porto in 24/25 was followed by his spell with Hamburg in 25/26 where he shone for the Bundesliga side.
The one drawback of the Hamburg loan was that any fee for a permanent move was never going to majorly move the needle. Considering their record fee for an incoming player was €14m for Filip Kostic, the expectation was that they would not come close to meeting Arsenal’s original valuation of €20m. After negotiations this week, the Gunners brought their asking price down and reached an agreement of €9m for the midfielder.
Gabriel Jesus’ also saw his role in the side lessen over the past two seasons due in large part to injuries. His addition in the summer of 2022 after joining from Manchester City was a landmark one in the Mikel Arteta era. His arrival took Arsenal from a being simply a competitive side to one that consistent challenged for the title. The first 6 months of his first season were sublime as he immediately elevated the attack with his exceptional ability to receive the ball in tight spaces and link up with the front line.
Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury in the 2022 World Cup that began a series of ongoing issues he never seemed to overcome. The cycle that followed was as predictable as it was frustrating. After recovering from an injury, he would show flashes of his brilliance before encountering another setback. The signing of Viktor Gyökeres last summer was a major indicator that the club was preparing for him to take a more diminished role in the attack, and a move seemed inevitable.
That he is moving to Barcelona is a positive one for the player. His talent is evident and clearly other clubs still see him as a top player. The biggest question mark is always going to be his health, but moving to La Liga may help. Joining Barca, he will be a part of a side that sits atop their domestic league while heavily favored to retain their title for a third season in a row. He will get Champions League football while playing for one of the game’s most prestigious clubs and will have another opportunity to add to his impressive trophy cabinet. For €10m, it’s a massive bargain for Barca and may help Arsenal in their pursuit of Julian Alvarez.
Gabriel Martinelli’s seven seasons at Arsenal are coming to a close, departing as one of the sides most veteran players. His transfer To Al Hilal is certainly the one with the biggest emotional impact on the fanbase, but one that felt increasingly necessary.
He came to Arsenal as a teenager from Brazil’s 4th division in 2019 and rapidly ascended to becoming a first team stalwart. His best campaign aligned with Jesus’ arrival in 2022/23, when Martinelli scored 15 goals in the league and looked like he was ready to break out. Subsequent seasons saw him fail to replicate that level on a consistent basis, though he remained a major part of the attack, splitting time with Leandro Trossard on the left wing.
He was a divisive player at times. His blistering pace was unparalleled in the side, but his dribbling and decision making always seemed a point of constant consternation. He could leave a defender in the dust, but struggled to capitalize on the moment at times. Last season saw him notch only one league goal (though it was a hugely impacting one against Manchester City) while enjoying far more success in the Champions League and League Cup.
Thankfully, his time at Arsenal got the storybook ending it deserved when he lifted the Premier League trophy last season. He also becomes Arsenal’s record transfer, with a fee in excess of €65m reported. When you consider Arsenal’s historic struggle to get competitive fees for departing players, the return on investment for the Brazilian winger seems wholly deserved.
With today’s news, that brings Arsenal’s current departures to five in total after the contract termination of Reiss Nelson and the sale of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas. While the club loses a lot of talent, it frees up a massive amount of wages while helping the club stay out of any FFP crosshairs.
The Gunners are reported to still be in the hunt for at least one more attacking signing before business closes on Tuesday. With a bevy of attackers off the books, the next two days are sure to be busy for the reigning champions.
We wish the departing players the best of luck and thank them for helping rebuild this club back to glory.
