Soccer
Gabriel Martinelli leaves Arsenal in £60m Al-Hilal switch
Gabriel Martinelli’s £60million move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal has been confirmed as he becomes Arsenal’s most lucrative transfer departure.
The fee paid for the Brazil international – perhaps surprisingly deemed surplus to requirements by the Premier League champions – eclipses Alex Oxlade Chamberlain’s £35m exit to Liverpool in 2017.
Martinelli’s move to the Saudi Pro League comes after fellow left-sided forward Leandro Trossard was sold to Besiktas.
Although the Gunners signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, the departures of both Martinelli and Trossard – who scored a combined 19 goals for the club last year – opens Arsenal up to being exposed in that area of the pitch.
Eberechi Eze will feature more as a left-sided forward this season while the belief at the club is that both Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka can also operate on that flank, too.
Martinelli, who has played nearly 300 times for the Gunners across seven seasons, was left out of Arsenal’s squad for their Community Shield win against Manchester City and subsequent Premier League victories over Coventry and Aston Villa.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said the treatment of Martinelli left him feeling “uncomfortable” and claimed the 25-year-old deserved “more respect”.
While the Premier League transfer window closed on Tuesday, the deadline for the Saudi Pro League is on Sunday.
Martinelli posted a heartfelt goodbye message to Arsenal on social media, reflecting on his footballing journey since arriving as a raw 18-year-old talent from Brazilian side Ituano in 2019 with “anxiety, fear and doubts”.
“Yes, he did it,” Martinelli said. “He became an FA Cup champion, won the Community Shield and finally achieved the one he had waited so long for – becoming a Premier League champion.
“With Brazil, he won an Olympic gold medal, played in two World Cups, and scored a very special goal, and here, with Arsenal, he reached 98 goal contributions.
“Today, it is time to close a chapter of this seven-year story. I would like to thank everyone who was part of this journey. To Arsenal, thank you for believing in me and opening the doors for me when I was just a boy with a dream.
“To the fans, thank you for supporting me throughout all these years, through the moments of joy and difficult ones, I will be forever grateful. From (shirt number) 35 to 11, once a Gunner, always a Gunner.”
