Arsenal are ready to lose one of their highest earners, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his club.
One of manager Mikel Arteta's first jobs when he arrived at the Emirates Stadium in 2019 was to get the wage structure of the club under control, and with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil leaving North London on free transfers, Arsenal have always been keen on cutting costs in salary, as much as making sales.
That could certainly be true when it comes to the remaining weeks of the transfer window, as the Gunners look to shift stars who command high wages.
Arsenal looking to get Gabriel Jesus off the books
A report from Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb says that Napoli are in the process of freeing up space in their squad to land Gabriel Jesus, with Romelu Lukaku close to leaving Italy once more.
FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal are open to offers of around £20m for Jesus – less than half of what they paid for his signature in 2022 – in order to free up funds to spend elsewhere.
According to Capology, Jesus is still the third-highest earner at London Colney behind Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, picking up around £265,000 a week, with just a year remaining on the contract he signed four years ago.
Jesus was a transformational signing when he arrived from Manchester City, spearheading a surprise title assault in 2022/23 and improving the dynamics of Arteta's attack, as the Gunners accrued 50 points in their first 19 games of that campaign.
But after the Brazilian suffered a knee injury at the World Cup in Qatar, Jesus has struggled to regain the same form, losing his place in Arteta's side first to Havertz and then to Viktor Gyokeres, as the Basque boss has moved away from using the same style of false nine in his line-up.
After returning in 2024/25 and showing promise with a hat-trick against Crystal Palace, Jesus suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in an FA Cup tie against Manchester United, becoming a peripheral figure in the squad.
FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal are also open to letting the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira leave the club, too, which could free up over £300,000 a week more in wages.
Martinelli is believed to be earning around £180,000 a week, having signed a long-term extension in 2023, while Nelson is thought to be on a six-figure sum, too.
The Hale End graduate has played just 50 Premier League fixtures for the Gunners since making his first-team debut in the competition nearly a decade ago, but was rewarded with an extension in 2024 after crucial goals in Arsenal's title challenge against the likes of Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.
Jesus is worth €17m, as per Transfermarkt. Arsenal play Coventry City when Premier League action begins again with the 2026/27 season opener.
