Arsenal confirms Gabriel Martinelli’s club-record €70M move to Al-Hilal
Gabriel Martinelli has ended his seven-year Arsenal career by completing a club-record €70m transfer to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal.
Gabriel Martinelli has officially left Arsenal after completing a £60m transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, ending a seven-year spell in north London.
The 25-year-old Brazil international has signed a four-year contract with the Saudi club, who confirmed the deal on Thursday.
Martinelli joined Arsenal from Ituano in 2019 and developed into an important attacking option under Mikel Arteta, making 278 appearances, scoring 62 goals and helping the Gunners win the Premier League last season.
However, his position at the club changed during the summer after Arteta indicated that regular opportunities would be difficult to find. Martinelli was subsequently excluded from Arsenal’s opening matchday squads before agreeing to move to Saudi Arabia.
His £60m departure represents Arsenal’s biggest-ever direct transfer sale, surpassing the £35m received for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s move to Liverpool in 2017.
The Brazilian’s exit also provides a significant financial return for a player who had entered the final year of his Arsenal contract.
Martinelli will now join an ambitious Al-Hilal squad featuring fellow recent Premier League arrivals Ollie Watkins and Crysencio Summerville.
The move brings an emotional conclusion to a career that began when Martinelli arrived in England as a relatively unknown teenager and grew into one of Arsenal’s most recognisable forwards.
He leaves after winning domestic silverware with the club and representing Brazil at major international tournaments, while Al-Hilal will hope his pace, direct running and finishing can strengthen their challenge for honours in Saudi Arabia.
