Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; Score808 Live provides the summary and editorial framing.
Transfer Terms and Financial Parameters
Arsenal have finalized the sale of forward Gabriel Martinelli to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal for a fixed fee of £60m. The transaction sets a new club record for an outbound transfer, exceeding the previous high of £40m received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017.
The agreement includes a sell-on clause. Because Martinelli was recruited from Brazilian side Ituano as an 18-year-old in 2019, the entire £60m sum enters Arsenal's accounts as pure profit. The departure elevates the club's total player sales past £120m for the current transfer window.
Structural Changes on the Left Flank
Martinelli's exit represents a complete restructuring of Arsenal's left-sided attacking options across the summer window:
- Departures: Martinelli follows Leandro Trossard, who was transferred to Turkish side Besiktas in July. Martinelli had previously rejected a £38.9m transfer offer from Galatasaray earlier in the window.
- Additions: Arsenal acquired winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. Tzolis occupied the starting left-wing position in the club's first two Premier League fixtures of the season.
- Minutes distribution: Martinelli was not included in the squad for the opening two fixtures of the campaign. During Arsenal's title-winning season, he appeared in 30 league matches but recorded only 11 starts, his lowest starting volume since the 2020/21 campaign.
Statistical Record
Martinelli concludes his Arsenal tenure with 191 Premier League appearances, generating 41 goals and 24 assists over a six-year span. Al Hilal adds the 25-year-old winger directly to their forward line ahead of their domestic and continental campaign.