AS Roma may not have the funds to afford a deal to sign 25-year-old Brazilian international Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal this summer.
According to a report by Il Messaggero via Giallorossi.net, Gabriel Martinelli is the subject of interest of AS Roma. The Serie A giants are eager to reinforce their offensive unit by signing a versatile attacker ahead of the 2026/27 season, and they have set their sights on the 25-year-old Arsenal forward.
Per Il Messaggero, Arsenal’s asking price of €40-45 million poses no issue for AS Roma, and they can afford that valuation. However, Martinelli’s €7 million-a-year wages exceed the Italian club’s salary cap for new signings, which they have set at €4-4.5 million.
Gabriel Martinelli and his Arsenal career so far
Gabriel Martinelli has endured a topsy-turvy ride since joining Arsenal from Ituano Futebol Clube in July 2019. While the 25-year-old has impressive in his early seasons with the North London club, he has not been at his best in recent campaigns, struggling to make his mark in the final third.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian international produced a decent tally in the 2025/26 season, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in only 2,384 minutes of game time in 52 outings across all competitions. However, scoring only one goal in the Premier League cost him a spot as a regular, although his stock remains high, with AS Roma among the prospective suitors vying for his signature.
Serie A adventure beckoning?
Gabriel Martinelli has been on Barcelona’s radar for an extended period. The continued interest makes sense, as they have seen Stephan El Shaarawy depart from Stadio Olimpico as a free agent this summer. Additionally, Bryan Zaragoza has returned to Bayern Munich after the end of his loan spell.
Several candidates have thus emerged on AS Roma’s wishlist, but they have already lost many races thus far, with Alejandro Garnacho joining Aston Villa, Crysencio Summerville moving to Al-Hilal, and Mason Greenwood picking Fenerbahce as his next destination. Martinelli has thus emerged as an appealing alternative on AS Roma’s wishlist.
However, even though Arsenal’s asking price of €40-45 million is within AS Roma’s reach, the salary issues will scupper a move for Martinelli. AS Roma must thus quickly identify another alternative to bolster the attack, and recent reports have linked the Giallorossi with Oscar Bobb.