Arsenal Open the Door for Nwaneri Exit as Turkish Giants Circle
Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for 19-year-old winger Ethan Nwaneri this summer, and the interest is coming from all directions. AC Milan, Fulham, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund are all keen, according to BBC Sport. Galatasaray have gone further than most — Sports Mole reported on 12 August that the Istanbul club had submitted "official offers" for both Nwaneri and teammate Gabriel Martinelli.
For a teenager Arsenal have nurtured since he was eight, that is a striking signal. Nwaneri became the youngest player in English top-flight history when he appeared against Brentford as a 15-year-old. He later became the third youngest scorer in a Champions League knockout tie, finding the net in Arsenal's 7-1 demolition of PSV in March 2025 (Sky Sports). Now, barely a year later, his boyhood club is prepared to let him go.
The reason is a squad overhaul driven by sporting director Andrea Berta. Appointed to refresh Arsenal's recruitment operation, Berta has been tasked with being an active seller, not just a buyer. He and his assistant Maurizio Michele have leveraged strong relationships in Turkey — connections that have already delivered. Leandro Trossard left for Besiktas in a deal worth up to £17m, part of a wider clear-out expected to raise around £45m when the sales of Trossard, Jakub Kiwior, Christian Norgaard and Karl Hein are totalled (BBC Sport).
Martinelli is the other headline name in Galatasaray's sights. The Brazilian forward has been made their top transfer target, according to Sky in Germany, and the Turkish champions have submitted a €45m (£38.4m) bid. His future at the Emirates has looked uncertain since June, when Sky Sports reported Arsenal were planning significant sales and listed Martinelli among those facing questions over his place.
The revolving door does not stop there. Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus and Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira have also been told they can leave. Reiss Nelson is in talks with West Ham over a permanent move that could bring in roughly £3m. Even Martin Zubimendi, the midfielder Arsenal signed from Real Sociedad, is attracting interest from Spain — though that feels less like a clear-out and more like rival clubs testing Arsenal's resolve.
What makes this summer unusual is the willingness to cash in on players who, not long ago, looked central to Arsenal's project. Nwaneri in particular carries the romantic weight of an academy graduate who broke records before he could legally drive. But Berta's brief is ruthless in its clarity: raise funds, trim the squad, and reinvest in areas Arsenal need to strengthen if they are to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool.
For fans, that means watching a homegrown talent potentially leave before his prime — the kind of decision that always stings a little more when the player grew up in the academy. Whether Galatasaray, Milan, or a Bundesliga suitor wins the race for Nwaneri, Arsenal have made their position plain. The rebuild is underway, and sentiment is not part of the budget.
