Gabriel Martinelli has completed a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, marking the most lucrative transfer in Arsenal’s history with a fixed‑fee payment of £60 million that also contains a future 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 £40 million. Martinelli’s arrival at Al Hilal comes after a decade‑long association with the Gunners, which began when he arrived from his hometown Brazilian club Ituano at the age of 18.
Because the transfer fee is a straight cash payment, the deal registers as pure profit on Arsenal’s financial statements, with no additional add‑ons or performance‑related bonuses to complicate the accounting. The Brazilian forward, now 25, turned down an earlier approach from Turkish giants Galatasaray, who had reportedly offered around £38.9 million. Martinelli reportedly felt that a move to Turkey was not the right step for his career at that moment, preferring instead to explore opportunities elsewhere.
When Al Hilal entered the picture, the prospect of playing in the rapidly developing Saudi Pro League and joining a club that has been investing heavily in high‑profile talent proved more appealing. Martinelli’s departure adds to a busy summer for Arsenal in the transfer market, pushing the total income from player sales beyond £120 million. Earlier in the window, fellow left‑winger Leandro Trossard was transferred to Turkish side Beşiktaş for a fee reported to be around £17 million.
The Gunners have also bolstered their own left side by signing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, a player who featured in the opening two Premier League victories after Martinelli’s exit. The move has sparked a range of reactions among Arsenal supporters and former players. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, speaking to Sky Sports after the club’s first‑day win over Coventry City, expressed discomfort with the way Martinelli’s situation was handled, suggesting that the 25‑year‑old deserved greater respect from the club hierarchy. Wright’s comments reflect a broader sentiment that Martinelli’s contribution over the years has been undervalued, especially considering his role in the squad that finally broke a 22‑year Premier League title drought.
Martinelli’s tenure at Arsenal began in 2019, and over the course of four seasons he amassed 191 Premier League appearances, netting 41 goals and delivering 24 assists. In the title‑winning 2022/23 campaign, he featured in 30 league matches, although only 11 of those were starts – the fewest starts he had recorded since the 2020/21 season. His reduced playing time in recent months can be attributed to the arrival of new attacking options such as Christos Tzolis and Eberechi Eze, which pushed him down the pecking order on the left flank. With Martinelli’s exit, only Bukayo Saka remains from the core group of players that Mikel Arteta inherited when he took over as manager on December 20, 2019, succeeding Unai Emery after Freddie Ljungberg’s brief interim spell.
Arteta has since overseen a dramatic transformation of the squad, phasing out veterans like David Luiz and Alexandre Lacazette and integrating younger talents to lift the club from a 15th‑place finish to Premier League champions. Although William Saliba was technically an Arsenal player when Arteta arrived, he spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Saint‑Étienne and did not make his Premier League debut for the Gunners until the opening game of the 2022/23 season, a 2‑0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Martinelli’s early years under Arteta were hampered by injuries, but he hit peak form in the 2022/23 season, scoring 15 league goals and playing a pivotal role in Arsenal’s title charge. Despite this resurgence, the arrival of new signings and a tactical shift saw him slip to third choice on the left wing. The £60 million fee paid by Al Hilal reflects both his market value and the Saudi club’s ambition to attract top‑flight talent from Europe.
In addition to Martinelli’s transfer, several other moves have been reported in the footballing world: Fabio Vieira moving from Porto to an undisclosed club for £7.7 million, Jakub Kiwior’s £19 million transfer from Porto, Gabriel Jesus heading to Barcelona for £8.6 million, Christian Norgaard joining Everton for £7 million, Ethan Nwaneri heading on loan to Borussia Dortmund, and Karl Hein’s £2.6 million switch to Werder Bremen. These transactions illustrate the ongoing fluidity of the transfer market as clubs recalibrate their squads ahead of the new season. Al Hilal’s acquisition of Martinelli underscores the growing allure of the Saudi Pro League, which has been investing heavily to raise its profile on the global stage. For Martinelli, the move offers a fresh challenge and the chance to be a key figure in a team that is eager to compete for domestic honours and make an impact in continental competitions.
While Arsenal fans may feel the loss of a home‑grown talent, the substantial fee provides financial flexibility for the club to continue rebuilding and strengthening the squad for future campaigns. Overall, Gabriel Martinelli’s transfer to Al Hilal represents a landmark moment for Arsenal’s financial dealings, a significant step in the player’s personal career, and a clear indication of the shifting dynamics in world football, where emerging leagues are increasingly able to attract established European talents.