Arsenal could wave goodbye to a long-serving player this summer as Ligue 1 giants PSG make contact to sign him, according to reports.
Arsenal take on Southampton in crunch FA Cup tie
Arsenal's treble is still alive.
That is the simplest way to frame where the club stands heading into what is arguably the most significant stretch of their season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates after the match
The quadruple dream died at Wembley before the international break — Man City's Nico O'Reilly headed twice in a commanding 2-0 Carabao Cup final win to extinguish that particular ambition — but the three remaining prizes are real, they are achievable, and this Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at St Mary's is where the next chapter of the pursuit begins.
Southampton, tomorrow's opponents, sit sixth in the second tier and riding a 14-match unbeaten run that has transformed their season under the young German manager Tonda Eckert.
The Saints reached the last eight by beating Doncaster Rovers, Leicester City, and Fulham, claiming the latter at Craven Cottage courtesy of a stoppage-time penalty from Ross Stewart.
They are missing Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki through suspension but arrive with confidence and genuine belief that a Wembley semi-final is within reach.
Arteta goes into it with a significant injury headache.
brazil-national-team Related
Arsenal and Chelsea hold talks with Brazilian rising star via reps with two offers made
The Gunners are apparently keen.
Ten players returned from the international break having withdrawn from their national squads. Noni Madueke is unlikely to feature after a knee injury, while Martin Zubimendi carries a knee concern.
Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber are doubts, whilst Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are being assessed cautiously.
Eberechi Eze is also out for several more weeks.
The one ray of light is Martin Odegaard — the captain is pushing for his first appearance since February and could return at St Mary's after months out with a knee problem.
Odegaard-Arsenal
With the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Sporting CP following just three days later on Tuesday, Arteta will rotate carefully and protect his most important players from unnecessary risk.
While the focus sharpens on the pitch, off it a development has emerged that carries long-term implications for how Arsenal build beyond this extraordinary season.
According to French outlet Mediafoot, PSG have recently made formal enquiries — gathering information on both the player's own position and the financial conditions of a potential transfer — regarding Gabriel Martinelli.
Gabriel-Martinelli-Arsenal-Mansfield
The winger is approaching the end of his seventh season at the Emirates Stadium, a vast portion of his young career having been spent in north London since he arrived from Brazilian side Ituano for around £6m as an 18-year-old in 2019.
The report frames what is coming with some clarity, with PSG described as 'just' entering the race for the Brazilian.
Martinelli wants to end this chapter of his career on the highest possible note — specifically with a Premier League title among the honours, a target that remains very much within reach given Arsenal's nine-point lead at the summit.
But beyond that, sources indicate the player himself sees this summer as the moment to pursue a new challenge.
It is not simply a case of clubs circling; there is an openness from Martinelli's side to moving on.
Martinelli
PSG are working up their summer attack options under Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos.
Their first-choice target is Julian Alvarez of Atlético Madrid, while Martinelli is among the backup plans.
Whether a move materialises will depend partly on Martinelli's contract situation with Arsenal, reported to run until 2027, and the fee any interested club would need to pay.
For Arsenal, losing a player of Martinelli's profile would demand serious replacement planning.
For PSG, acquiring a winger of his dynamism and Premier League pedigree would represent a significant coup.
Roberto de Zerbi Related
De Zerbi wants Tottenham to sign 'true leader' who rejected Arsenal after Spurs meeting
The Italian has reportedly identified a target already after recruitment talks.