Arsenal's Martinelli dilemma: Galatasaray bid rejected without a replacement

Arsenal have received an approach from Galatasaray for forward Gabriel Martinelli, but the club will not engage unless a suitable replacement is identified, highlighting Mikel Arteta's ambition to add another attacker this summer.

Arteta has made clear his desire to strengthen the squad further, targeting an additional attacker to boost competition in wide positions. The move of Vinicius Junior to Real Madrid has intensified interest in Martinelli, drawing attention from several clubs.

Arsenal's summer signing of Christos Tzolis was intended to address the left-wing role, yet Arteta remains keen to add more depth. Tzolis has featured prominently in pre-season, scoring against Girona and providing an assist against Real Betis.

Martinelli managed just one Premier League goal in 30 appearances last season, raising questions about his consistency. His Champions League group-stage performances contrasted with a lack of impact in knockout matches, including the final.

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"We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously," Arteta said. "We want to get better like anybody else, and you just can see the transfer market and our opponents, what we are doing. We won't sit still, and we are very ambitious with what we are doing."

The internal competition for places is set to increase, with Arteta emphasizing the need to identify gaps in the squad. Martinelli, currently in the manager's plans, could see his role shift if another attacker is signed.

Bruno Guimaraes has already been confirmed as a new signing, and Arteta's comments after the pre-season win over Girona hinted at continued transfer activity. The Gunners are looking to boost competition and secure reliable attacking output.

"The margins are very small. Because we want to get better, and the level is going to increase. We need to increase the competition internally. We need to make sure we identify the things that we don't have in the team," Arteta added.