Arsenal have successfully trimmed their weekly wage bill by nearly £1 million during the current summer transfer window, following a series of sales and departures of non-essential players. The north London club is on the verge of completing two major deals before the window closes, with Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli close to joining Saudi side Al Hilal in a record-breaking transfer, while his compatriot Gabriel Jesus is nearing a cut-price move to Barcelona.
Details of the Two Deals and Their Impact on Wages
Al Hilal have agreed to pay around £55 million for Martinelli, a fee expected to become the highest Arsenal have ever received for a player sale. Meanwhile, Jesus is close to finalising his move to Barcelona, bringing the total weekly wage savings from departing players to £893,000.
Jesus is the biggest wage saver, having earned £265,000 per week, the third-highest salary in the squad after Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, despite his recent dip in form and exclusion from the manager’s plans.
Additional Savings from Other Departures
In addition to Martinelli and Jesus, Arsenal have benefited from the exits of several other players. Leandro Trossard (£180,000 per week), Fabio Vieira (£45,000 per week), Jakub Kiwior (£58,000 per week), and Christian Nørgaard (£65,000 per week) have all left, while Reiss Nelson, who earned £100,000 per week, was also released.
Reinvesting the Savings in New Signings
Arsenal have not just cut costs; they have reinvested part of the savings into strengthening the squad. Around £530,000 per week has been allocated to the wages of new arrivals Bruno Guimarães, Ezri Konsa, Christos Tzolis, and Ilan Meslier. This leaves the club with net savings of approximately £363,000 per week, raising questions about whether another major signing could be made before the transfer window closes.
