Gabriel Martinelli has completed a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, marking the most expensive departure in Arsenal's history with a fixed‑fee transfer of approximately £60 million, plus an additional sell‑on clause. This figure eclipses the previous club record set in the summer of 2017 when Arsenal sold Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain to Liverpool for around £40 million.
Martinelli, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium as an 18‑year‑old from his hometown Brazilian club Ituano, now leaves the Gunners with a pure profit recorded on Arsenal's financial statements, as the initial outlay for his acquisition was negligible compared to the current fee. The 25‑year‑old forward's decision to head to the Saudi Pro League follows a rejected approach from Turkish giants Galatasaray earlier in the summer. Galatasaray had tabled a bid of roughly £38.9 million, but Martinelli expressed a lack of enthusiasm for a move to Turkey at that juncture, preferring to keep his options open for a different challenge. By opting for Al Hilal, he joins a growing list of high‑profile players who have been lured to the Middle East by lucrative contracts and the promise of competing in a rapidly developing league.
Martinelli's departure pushes Arsenal's total income from player sales this summer beyond the £120 million mark, a substantial influx that will undoubtedly influence the club's transfer strategy in the upcoming window. His exit also follows the sale of fellow left‑winger Leandro Trossard to Turkish side Beşiktaş in July, further reshaping Arsenal's attacking options on the left flank.
While Arsenal have already acted to reinforce that side of the pitch by securing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, the new signing has already featured in the first two Premier League victories of the season, both of which saw Martinelli unavailable. After the opening win against Coventry City, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright voiced his discomfort with how the club handled Martinelli's situation, arguing that the 25‑year‑old deserved greater respect and consideration from the management.
Martinelli's tenure at Arsenal began in 2019, and over the course of four seasons he amassed 191 Premier League appearances, contributing 41 goals and 24 assists. In the title‑winning 2022/23 campaign, he featured in 30 league matches, although only 11 of those were starts – his lowest number of starts since the 2020/21 season. Despite limited starting opportunities, his impact remained significant, as he added 15 goals to the team's tally during that campaign, helping Arsenal break a 22‑year drought to clinch the Premier League crown. With Martinelli's exit, only Bukayo Saka remains from the core group of players that Mikel Arteta inherited when he took over as head coach on December 20, 2019, succeeding Unai Emery after Freddie Ljungberg's brief stint as interim manager.
Arteta has since overhauled the squad, phasing out veterans such as David Luiz and Alexandre Lacazette, and constructing a side capable of challenging for top honors. Notably, William Saliba, who was on Arsenal's books when Arteta arrived, spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Saint‑Étienne and only made his Premier League debut for the Gunners in the opening fixture of the 2022/23 season, a 2‑0 victory over Crystal Palace. Martinelli's early years under Arteta were hampered by injuries, but he found his stride in the 2022/23 season, delivering a prolific goal‑scoring record that placed him among the league's most dangerous left‑wingers.
However, recent form and the arrival of new signings such as Christos Tzolis and Eberechi Eze have seen him slip to third in the hierarchy for the left‑wing position. The transfer also highlights a broader trend of European clubs capitalising on the market value of South American talent. Alongside Martinelli's £60 million move, other notable deals this summer include Fabio Vieira's £7.7 million transfer to Porto, Jakub Kiwior's £19 million switch to Porto, Leandro Trossard's £17 million move to Beşiktaş, Gabriel Jesus's £8.6 million transfer to Barcelona, Christian Nørgaard's £7 million signing by Everton, Ethan Nwaneri's loan to Borussia Dortmund, and Karl Hein's £2.6 million transfer to Werder Bremen.
Martinelli's shift to Al Hilal not only represents a financial milestone for Arsenal but also underscores the shifting dynamics of global football, where Middle Eastern clubs are increasingly able to attract top‑tier talent. For the Brazilian forward, the move offers a fresh challenge, a new cultural environment, and the opportunity to become a marquee player in a league that is investing heavily in its future. As Arsenal continue to rebuild and re‑invest the funds generated from this and other sales, the club aims to maintain its competitive edge domestically while also nurturing the next generation of talent to succeed the likes of Saka and the departing Martinelli.
Overall, the transaction reflects both the business acumen of Arsenal's hierarchy in maximising asset value and the evolving landscape of player movement in modern football, where financial considerations, career ambitions, and the allure of emerging leagues intersect to shape the careers of elite athletes.