Al-Nassr have set their sights on one of Mikel Arteta’s key stars at Arsenal, according to reports, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s team said to be preparing a bumper contract offer for the player.
Arsenal set for PSG semi-final after triumph in Madrid
The Gunners will still be coming down from Wednesday, following what was a historic two-legged Champions League quarter-final win over 15-time European champions Real Madrid.
Arsenal make "ambitious" offer for £170k-p/w forward after Arteta request
The Spaniard’s personally asked for him.
ByEmilio GalantiniApr 19, 2025
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s strikes sealed a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu, right after Arsenal smashed Real 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium last week, and the result sent a statement to the rest of Europe that Arteta’s side are truly among the continent’s elite.
PSG await Arsenal in the semi-finals, with the two sides chasing their first ever Champions League title, so everything is on the line for both teams.
Ipswich Town (away)
April 20th
Crystal Palace (home)
April 23rd
Bournemouth (home)
May 3rd
Liverpool (away)
May 11th
Newcastle United (home)
May 18th
Arsenal surrendered the Premier League title to Liverpool this season and crashed out of both domestic cups, so failure to win the tournament will mean failure for the entirety of 2024/2025.
Victory in the Champions League will also assist new sporting director Andrea Berta when it comes to the club’s transfer activity, both financially and in a sporting sense.
Arsenal will get £21.1 million worth of prize money if they do lift the trophy, potentially bolstering Berta’s transfer kitty, but more importantly, it could also impress their most high-profile targets and convince them of Arteta’s long-term project.
As well as all of this, European bragging rights will work wonders to convince Arsenal’s key stars to commit their futures at N5.
Arsenal are working to tie down Saka with a new deal (BBC), while it is believed star centre-back duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are also set to be offered lucrative fresh terms.
“Deals for Saliba, Gabriel and Saka are pretty high on the agenda,” said journalist Graeme Bailey to Arsenal Insider recently.
“I think Arsenal are fairly confident of getting these deals done, but there’s no massive rush; they want to get them done in the summer and get them over the line. That is their plan to get them tied down, those three particularly, to new deals.”
Al-Nassr moving to tempt Gabriel with Arsenal exit
However, while Arsenal are confident they can keep their star trio, Saudi side Al-Nassr are attempting to upset the apple-cart.
According to reports in Spain, Al-Nassr are “already” moving to tempt Gabriel with a “much higher” salary to leave Arsenal, with the Pro League outfit hatching an “ambitious” transfer plan to sign the Brazilian, Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo and Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Jr. for a combined total of £345 million.
Gabriel’s contract runs until 2027, with Arteta’s mainstay centre-back currently on around £100,000-per-week. Al-Nassr’s spending power could pose a real threat to Arsenal, and it is absolutely imperative they keep hold of the 27-year-old.
That being said, if the defender becomes open to a Saudi switch, Arsenal will reportedly dig their heels in and demand around £100 million (talkSPORT) – regardless of his contract situation.
Dubbed the Premier League’s “most underrated” player by Leah Williamson, Gabriel is a rock alongside Saliba at the back and vital to Arteta’s success.
