Gabriel Martinelli is close to agreeing to a new contract with Arsenal according to the latest reports. The Gunners have been in discussions with the Brazilian’s representatives for some time and the player has shown eagerness to remain with the club.
Ever since telling the media ahead of the final Europa League group stage game that all he needed was a pen to sign a new Arsenal deal, Martinelli’s future seemed only a matter of time until it was resolved. However, suggestions are that the wages could see the 21-year-old earn in the region of £200,000 per week.
This makes Martinelli one of the highest-paid players at the club and close to what top earner Gabriel Jesus is on. With both Bukayo Saka and William Saliba also in contract renewal discussions, the Gunners might need to fork out similar levels of their wage bill to convince all three to stay.
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Despite this being a massive investment for the club, on raw quality alone it is certainly worth it for the club to see all three remain for the long term. However, it could also potentially save money for the club.
Using the valuation models of the CIES Football Observatory, Martinelli is given a figure up to €90million (£78.7million). A realistic figure is difficult to determine because of how priceless the former Ituano man has become to Mikel Arteta’s team.
Saliba is valued at up to €70million (£61.2million) and Saka is valued at up to €120million (£105million). The three combined see a worth more than £244million.
If Arsenal were to see them leave on a free transfer having been unable to secure a new contract for any of them, it would be a massive financial and sporting loss to the club. Martinelli’s new contract over a five-year period works out at £52million.
Estimating that both Saka and Saliba could be offered similar figures, the trio would see a total investment in the region of £156million. Therefore, based on the estimated value, Arsenal would still be saving around £88 million compared to if they lost them.
The argument that Arsenal could make money through selling any of them is difficult to see as an option either, as the investment in their replacement plus the wages those players would be on could potentially be in similar price ranges.
Ultimately, despite the figures for players still in their very early twenties reaching massive levels, the broader picture shows it remains cost-effective for the club to invest this much in these stars.
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