Bayern Munich are lining up an ambitious move for a regular Arsenal starter this summer, a new report in Germany has claimed.
Keen to strengthen their frontline before next season, Bayern bosses have drawn up a five-man shortlist and one Gunners player is said to have made the cut.
It is said that Arsenal would even be willing to listen to acceptable offers for the player, who has been capped almost 20 times for his country.
According to Bild reporter Christian Falk, forward Gabriel Martinelli is an option for the Bundesliga heavyweights, who missed out on signing Florian Wirtz to Liverpool.
Bayern are rumoured to also be keen on Athletic Bilbao ace Nico Williams, who looks Barcelona bound, as well as Liverpool duo Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo.
Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who has attracted interest from Chelsea and been the subject of several rounds of talks, has admirers at Bayern, too.
The Times have floated the possibility of Martinelli moving on from the Emirates in this window, with the club reportedly looking to bring down their wage bill.
The publication claims he could become part of the clear-out alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko, Reiss Nelson, Jakub Kiwior, Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Martinelli joined Arsenal from Ituano in a deal worth just £5million in 2019.
He has played 225 times for the club, scoring 51 goals and registering 29 assists.
The winger is tied down until the summer of 2027 and according to The Athletic, Arsenal’s hierarchy would demand offers in excess of £50m to tempt them into a sale. They also hold the option to extend his contract by a further year.
Martinelli, meanwhile, has indicated he has no desire to leave the club. ‘This is my home,’ he said in April. ‘I love to be here. I love the club.’
On the incomings front, Arsenal are looking to sign a striker this summer but are reported to have met a stumbling block in their pursuit of Benjamin Sesko.
The Sun have reported that there is a growing frustration over the RB Leipzig frontman’s wage demands. He is valued at around £70m.
Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres is viewed as an alternative to Sesko.
