Gabriel Martinelli's departure from Arsenal to Al-Hilal for £60 million marks more than a transfer record — it reflects the quiet, sometimes uncomfortable arithmetic of modern football, where a player who helped end a two-decade title drought can find himself excluded from the squad just months later. At 25, the Brazilian forward moves to Saudi Arabia not at the twilight of his career but at what many would consider its peak, raising questions about ambition, loyalty, and the speed with which clubs recalibrate their visions. The move, completed after Europe's transfer window had already closed
Arsenal sell Martinelli to Al-Hilal for £60m in late transfer deal
There's ways of doing that, and it should suit him as well
Mark
So Martinelli was a core player for Arsenal just last season. What changed?
Mimi
Arteta made a choice. He left him out of the first two squad lists, which was essentially saying there wasn't a place for him anymore. It's a business decision, but it happened fast.
Luke
Do we know why? Was it tactical, or was there a falling out? The reporting doesn't really say.
Mark
And £60 million—that's a lot of money. Is that what he's worth in the market right now?
Mimi
It's what Al-Hilal paid. The Saudi clubs have money and they're willing to spend it. Whether that's his "true" market value in Europe is a different question.
Luke
Right. We don't know if other Premier League clubs made offers, or if this was the only serious bid. We're seeing one transaction, not the full picture.
Mark
Ian Wright seemed bothered by how it all went down.
Mimi
He was. He said there are ways to move a player on, and it should work for the player too. The implication is that Martinelli didn't get much say in the matter.
Luke
Though we don't have Martinelli's own words on that. We have his quote from the Al-Hilal video, which is pretty standard stuff. We don't know how he actually feels about being pushed out.
Mark
What about the left wing now? Is Arsenal in trouble?
Mimi
They've lost two left-sided forwards in one window. They brought in Tzolis, but there's real concern about depth. It's a legitimate question whether they've weakened themselves.
Luke
Though we don't know yet if that will actually matter. It's a forward look, not a fact. The season will tell.
Der Puls
- Martinelli's exclusion from Arsenal's first two matchday squads this season sent an unmistakable message — he was no longer part of Arteta's plans, regardless of his role in the club's first title in 22 years.
- At £60 million, his exit shatters Arsenal's own departure record, surpassing Oxlade-Chamberlain's 2017 move to Liverpool by £25 million and signalling how dramatically player valuations have shifted.
- Ian Wright's public discomfort with the handling of Martinelli's exit cut through the transfer noise, voicing what many fans felt — that a loyal servant deserved a more dignified farewell.
- Al-Hilal, joint-top of the Saudi Pro League alongside Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, now pairs Martinelli with Ollie Watkins, assembling a forward line that would rival many European clubs.
- With both Martinelli and Trossard gone from the left wing, Arsenal's attacking depth faces its first real test of the season, and whether Christos Tzolis can fill that void remains an open question.
Gabriel Martinelli's departure from Arsenal to Al-Hilal for £60 million marks more than a transfer record — it reflects the quiet, sometimes uncomfortable arithmetic of modern football, where a player who helped end a two-decade title drought can find himself excluded from the squad just months later. At 25, the Brazilian forward moves to Saudi Arabia not at the twilight of his career but at what many would consider its peak, raising questions about ambition, loyalty, and the speed with which clubs recalibrate their visions. The move, completed after Europe's transfer window had already closed, underscores how the Saudi Pro League continues to reshape the geography of the game's elite.
Gabriel Martinelli is heading to Saudi Arabia. The 25-year-old Brazilian forward has signed a four-year deal with Al-Hilal for a reported £60 million — making him the most expensive player ever to leave Arsenal, surpassing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's £35 million move to Liverpool in 2017.
The timing is striking. Europe's transfer window had already closed when the deal was finalised, a quirk that prevents continental clubs from buying but not from selling. Al-Hilal, currently joint-top of the Saudi Pro League alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, moved swiftly to complete the signing. Martinelli will link up there with Ollie Watkins, who recently departed Aston Villa for a similar fee.
The move was clearly initiated by Arsenal. Martinelli had been left out of the club's opening two matchday squads this season — a pointed signal from manager Mikel Arteta that his future lay elsewhere. In his Al-Hilal unveiling, Martinelli embraced the new chapter warmly. But former Arsenal striker Ian Wright was less comfortable, telling Sky Sports that however necessary the decision may have been, the manner of Martinelli's exit should have better reflected what he gave the club.
And he gave plenty. In nearly 300 appearances across all competitions, Martinelli scored 62 goals and contributed to an FA Cup win in 2020, a Community Shield in 2023, and last season's first Premier League title since 2004 — making 53 appearances and scoring 11 goals in that championship campaign.
His absence, alongside the sale of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas, leaves Arsenal noticeably light on the left wing. The arrival of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge offers some cover, but whether it is enough to sustain a title defence will only become clear as the season unfolds.
Gabriel Martinelli is leaving Arsenal for Saudi Arabia. The 25-year-old Brazilian forward has signed a four-year contract with Al-Hilal, the Premier League champions announced on Thursday evening. The deal is worth £60 million guaranteed, according to British media reports—a figure that makes Martinelli the most expensive player ever to depart from the London club. That record previously belonged to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who moved to Liverpool in 2017 for £35 million.
Martinelli's move comes at an unusual moment in the football calendar. The European transfer window closed on Tuesday, which typically signals the end of the summer market. But the closure only prevents continental clubs from buying; it does not stop them from selling. Al-Hilal, sitting joint-top of the Saudi Pro League alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, was able to complete the purchase after the official deadline had passed. Martinelli will join Ollie Watkins, the England striker who left Aston Villa for an estimated £51 million, at the Saudi club.
The departure reflects a deliberate decision by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to move the player on. Martinelli was excluded from the club's opening two matchday squads this season, a clear signal that his path to regular football had narrowed. In his unveiling video for Al-Hilal, Martinelli said he was "proud to be blue, proud to be Al-Hilal," accepting the transfer as his next chapter. But the manner of his exit drew criticism. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright told Sky Sports that he felt uncomfortable with how the club had handled Martinelli's situation. "I know they might want him out, and a lot of people might say, 'yeah, it's time for him to move him on'. But there's ways of doing that, and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave," Wright said.
Martinelli had been a fixture at Arsenal for years. Across nearly 300 appearances in all competitions, he scored 62 goals and was part of squads that won the FA Cup in 2020 and the Community Shield in 2023. Last season, as Arsenal claimed their first Premier League title since 2004, Martinelli made 53 appearances across all competitions and scored 11 goals. He was a contributor to that championship run, even if his role had begun to diminish.
His departure leaves Arsenal with a gap on the left wing. Fellow left-sided forward Leandro Trossard has also been sold, moving to Besiktas. The club has brought in Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge as a replacement, but there is concern among observers that losing both Martinelli and Trossard could leave the squad thin in that area of the pitch. As the season progresses, whether Arsenal's attacking depth proves sufficient will become clear.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The way Martinelli is being treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable. There's ways of doing that, and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave.— Ian Wright, former Arsenal striker, to Sky Sports
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