Ray Parlour has advised Mikel Arteta to sell a second Arsenal player after sanctioning the exit of Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal’s longest-serving player Martinelli is closing in on a £56m move to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal after being put up for sale by Arteta.
The Gunners signed Greek winger Christos Tzolis earlier in the summer and then tried to sign Brazil icon Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid.
The writing was on the wall for Martinelli after he was left out of Arsenal’s matchday squads for the Community Shield against Manchester City and the Premier League opener against Coventry City.
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Martinelli was initially reluctant to join Al Hilal but ESPN say he has now approved the move after being offered a four-year contract worth around £20m-a-year.
Asked about Martinelli’s future earlier this week, Arteta said: ‘Everybody knows and recognised how much we love Gabi and whatever the outcome is, it is because everyone agrees to that.
‘We have had conversations. I know what is in each other’s hearts, and the words that came through in that conversation make me happy.
‘But it is inevitable you have to say certain things that are tough.’
Arsenal legend Parlour has backed the decision to sell Martinelli to ‘freshen up the left-hand side’ and says he would not be opposed to Gabriel Jesus also being moved on before the transfer deadline.
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Like Martinelli, Jesus also failed to feature in Arsenal’s first two games of the season and is training away from the first-team.
‘Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli are probably the two that will move on,’ Parlour told Ladbrokes.
‘But the problem is that moves away have got to suit them as well; they can’t just suit the club, they’ve got to be right for the player too.
‘We definitely need to move a few on in the next few days, especially if one or two more are going to come in. And you look at the squad and think it’s probably Jesus and Martinelli who would be most likely to go.
