Galatasaray are showing interest in Arsenal duo Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri and Andrea Berta has strong links to the man facilitating those talks with the Premier League champions
Andrea Berta
Andrea Berta is speaking to Galatasaray about Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri
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Back in April, Andrea Berta and senior recruitment chief Maurizio Micheli attended Galatasaray's 3-0 victory over Fenerbahce at RAMS Park in Istanbul.
It was a clear indication of their connections within the field and it soon became apparent that they had attended the match as guests of Italian football executive George Gardi.
Gardi's ties to Galatasaray run deep. He was heavily involved in brokering deals for Victor Osimhen and Mauro Icardi among others and he also knows the two Arsenal chiefs well from their previous roles.
Now he's in direct contact with Berta in a bid to push through a deal for winger Gabriel Martinelli, who has one year left on his contract, though the Premier League champions hold a one-year extension option.
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The Turkish champions are ramping up interest in the Brazil international winger and have tabled a bid worth in the region of £38.5million. The structure of the offer is unclear, however, as Gala were pushing to sign AC Milan's Rafael Leao on an initial loan.
There is a feeling that Arsenal will talk and consider selling Martinelli this summer if the price is right, provided they can source a top replacement.
But during those discussions between Berta and Gardi, another name was on the table. Young attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, whose future at the Emirates Stadium remains somewhat uncertain.
He has a wide range of admirers from both home and abroad and Mikel Arteta feels his stock has risen since he returned from his disastrous six-month loan with Marseille as he's impressed in pre-season.
Ethan Nwaneri
Arsenal attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri is also liked by Galatasaray(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Arteta said on Wednesday evening following the 1-1 friendly draw with Como: "Ethan has been really good, probably what happened on the field on his loan in Marseille wasn’t what was expected, and there was a lot of noise and change around the club.
"But he looks different, a lot more mature; it’s incredible what six months and a different experience abroad can do to you - to be abroad on your own, to go through tough times and to witness that is a part of football you have to be good enough to cope with. I’m very happy with what Ethan has done in pre-season."
Arsenal are open to trading and Berta's strong relationship with Gardi means there is a direct line with Galatasaray for both players. At this stage, it seems as though Gala want at least one of Martinelli or Nwaneri and they seem to be armed with a credible level of cash.While Arteta still has a great level of appreciation for Nwaneri, he is available regardless of sourcing a potential replacement. Martinelli's future is more complicated because a sale would notably damage the club's depth at left-wing.
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