According to Football.London, Arsenal is on the verge of breaking the club's record for a player sale. Gabriel Martinelli is close to joining Al-Hilal in a deal worth an estimated £56 million, including add-ons. The previous record has stood for nine years, set when Liverpool signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for £35 million in 2017.

However, despite raising the threshold by approximately £20 million, Arsenal fans remain dissatisfied. Their frustration stems not only from Martinelli's relatively modest sale price, but also from how rival clubs manage to sell players they consider inferior for significantly higher fees, even setting their own records.

Chelsea has sold Moisés Caicedo for £115 million and Enzo Fernández for £106.8 million. Manchester City has offloaded Josko Gvardiol for £77 million and Julian Álvarez for £17 million initially, with buyback clauses. Liverpool signed Dominic Szoboszlai for £60 million and Cody Gakpo for £45 million.

These clubs have generated significant revenue from domestic transfers, while Arsenal still has several surplus players yet to be sold. The common thread among these high-value deals is that they involve transfers between Premier League clubs.

Transfers within the Premier League allow English clubs to demand substantial transfer fees. Some European clubs have also capitalized on this, extracting greater value from their stars, such as PSG and Liverpool's £120 million deal for Bradley Barcola.

Arsenal sold Kristian Nørgaard to Everton for £7 million, but the Danish midfielder had limited time remaining on his contract and was over thirty, making him less desirable. The last time Arsenal sold a player to another Premier League club was Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace for £30 million.

In that same transfer window, Emile Smith Rowe and Aaron Ramsdale were sold to Fulham and Southampton respectively, with combined fees approaching £90 million. At the time, this was considered good business.

All three clearly had no place in Arsenal's plans and received very limited playing time. This is the primary reason Arsenal lacks valuable assets to sell.

When Arteta took over in 2019, the club was rebuilding from scratch around the time the pandemic struck. Many players departed after receiving compensation, with contracts terminated by mutual agreement.

The players who remained have stayed in the squad. In fact, when Arsenal won the Premier League in 2026, fourteen players in the squad had joined in 2023 or earlier, or came directly from the academy.

Jesus and Zinchenko were crucial when they first arrived, but injuries and natural rotation gradually rendered them irrelevant. By the time they were nearly sold, their contracts had been gradually reduced, yet they retained the high wages they earned upon joining.

Reiss Nelson, who recently negotiated a contract termination with the club, also carries a high salary, which has hindered his chances of finding a new club. Martinelli's departure is similarly influenced by his substantial wages, making it unsurprising that Saudi clubs offering higher salaries would pursue him over lower-tier European clubs or mid-table Premier League teams.

Nevertheless, looking at Arsenal's current squad, several players could still command good fees if sold in the coming seasons. Riccardo Calafiori's initial transfer fee was less than £27 million, and his value has increased significantly since. He also has a long-term contract, is relatively young, and earns a reasonable salary.

Even Piero Hincapié may seek a transfer for more consistent playing time after becoming a Premier League champion. His transfer fee would certainly be higher than the £45 million Arsenal originally paid for him.

Arsenal is also increasing the resale value of academy players by recruiting talented young prospects globally. Some may successfully break into the first team, others may not succeed, but they can also appreciate in market value.

While it remains frustrating for Arsenal that rivals can sell players to Premier League clubs at high prices, it is not entirely unexpected for now. In future transfer windows, Arsenal must continue to improve and do better on deals such as Martinelli's anticipated departure.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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