Arsenal decide to sell long-serving attacker in 2026 as Fenerbahce alerted to 'costly' transfer

Arsenal have allegedly decided to sell one of their wingers in 2026, and Fenerbahce will be offered the chance to take him off of Mikel Arteta's hands.

The Spaniard - whose side face Everton in Saturday evening's Premier League clash - is blessed with an embarrassment of riches out wide right now, thanks to the summer signings of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

The England internationals are competing with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Max Dowman for minutes on the flanks, while Gabriel Jesus is another option after recovering from an ACL injury.

However, while Saka has nailed down the right-wing spot, none of Martinelli, Trossard nor Eze have made the left-wing position their own during their time at the Emirates, raising speculation that Arsenal could target a new option in 2026.

Trossard has been cutting the mustard in recent weeks, but the Belgium international is in his 30s and could be on the way out next year, while Martinelli's long-term future has also been the subject of debate.

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli to be offered to Fenerbahce?

According to Turkish outlet FutbolArena, Arsenal have now put Martinelli up for sale, and the 24-year-old's services will be offered to Turkish giants Fenerbahce next year.

Arsenal purchased Martinelli for just £6m from Brazilian side Ituano in 2019, and the attacker's stock has risen exponentially since, thanks to his 87 goal contributions from 243 matches for the Gunners in all competitions.

However, the South American has struggled for consistency since netting 15 Premier League goals in 2022-23 and has netted just once in 12 top-flight games this term, albeit while also scoring five in five in the Champions League.

Martinelli will enter the final 18 months of his Arsenal contract in January, although the Gunners can activate a one-year extension until 2028 to protect his value and will likely trigger the option regardless of where they think his future lies.

A proposed move to Fenerbahce would see Martinelli join forces with the likes of Ederson, Marco Asensio and Milan Skriniar, although the report adds that it would be a 'costly' operation, so it is not clear whether the Turkish club will be receptive to the advances of Arsenal or his agents.

Why Arsenal should consider Gabriel Martinelli sale in 2026

It seems scarcely believable that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains Arsenal's most expensive sale of all time - the Gunners have never recouped a higher fee than the £35m they received from Liverpool for the Englishman in 2017.

However, Martinelli - even if he has been hit-and-miss for the past couple of years - should comfortably exceed that fee, and such a sale would also represent a major win for Arsenal on the financial front.

Buying players for small fees and selling them on for bigger ones has not been Arsenal's mantra under Arteta, but the club could make a serious profit on Martinelli, who has plateaued since that terrific 2022-23 campaign.

Arsenal need to balance the books next year after a significant £250m summer outlay, and it feels as if one big sale could - or should - be on the cards; Martinelli fits that bill to a tee.

The Gunners should not consider parting ways with the winger in January, but if suitable bids are tabled in the summer - from Fenerbahce or anywhere else - Arsenal would be foolish not to consider them.