Gabriel Martinelli Completes £60m Arsenal Transfer to Al-Hilal

Gabriel Martinelli has completed a permanent move from Arsenal to Al-Hilal after being told he was not part of Mikel Arteta’s plans for the current season. The Brazil international left north London in early September, ending a seven-year spell with the Gunners.

What changed for Arsenal and Martinelli

Arsenal received a guaranteed £60 million for the 25-year-old winger, a fee that makes Martinelli the club’s record sale. He had previously earned £180,000 per week at the Emirates but has agreed a substantially improved contract with Al-Hilal.

Martinelli’s representative, Marcos Casseb, said the separation suited both parties following Arsenal’s Premier League title success and a wider reshaping of the squad.

“Arsenal went through a major restructuring and won the Premier League last season,” Casseb said. “We believed it was the right moment for him to leave, and the club felt the same way. It worked out very well for both Gabriel and Arsenal.”

Casseb added that Martinelli’s departure had delivered an important return for Arsenal, describing him as the club’s largest-ever outgoing transfer.

Competition context

Martinelli had options to remain in European football. His camp received approaches from clubs in the Premier League, Serie A and Germany’s top division before he chose the Saudi Pro League route.

The decision was driven by the player’s wish for a change after his Arsenal exit, as well as Al-Hilal’s sporting plans.

“There were offers from Italy, Germany and other Premier League clubs,” Casseb said. “But he needed, and wanted, to clear his mind and experience a different environment.”

• Arsenal banked a guaranteed £60 million from the transfer.
• Martinelli moves to Al-Hilal at the age of 25.
• Italian, German and Premier League clubs had also pursued the Brazilian.
• Al-Hilal are targeting younger recruitment as Saudi football seeks to reduce the league’s average age.

Casseb described Al-Hilal as Asia’s biggest club and said its project had drawn attention through a recruitment model increasingly focused on players in their mid-20s rather than solely established veterans.

What is scheduled next

Martinelli’s next task is to settle quickly at Al-Hilal and establish himself within a squad containing several international players aged under 27 who have appeared at the World Cup.

He arrives with a £60 million valuation and will be expected to contribute to Al-Hilal’s attempt to retain domestic supremacy while adapting to a league undergoing rapid change in its recruitment profile.