Martinelli leaves Arsenal for Al-Hilal in £60m deal after Arteta ruled him out

Gabriel Martinelli has completed a £60m move from Arsenal to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, bringing his seven-year spell in north London to an end. The fee is a fixed £60m with a sell-on clause attached, and the 25-year-old Brazil international has signed a long-term contract in Riyadh. The deal is officially confirmed, and it comes only weeks after Mikel Arteta told the winger he did not figure in his plans for the season.

The deal: a fixed £60m plus a sell-on clause

Arsenal will receive £60m up front with no performance add-ons, plus a percentage of any future transfer fee should Al-Hilal move him on. For a player with just 12 months left on his contract, it is a figure very few European clubs would have matched.

Al-Hilal, who are currently joint-top of the Saudi Pro League alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, wrapped the deal up quickly. Martinelli’s long-term contract signals he is being treated as a cornerstone signing rather than a stop-gap.

Arsenal have yet to release a full statement. The BBC reports that further details are expected to follow.

Why Arteta let Martinelli go

The decisive factor was simple: Arteta had told Martinelli he was not part of his plans for this season. With a year left on his deal, the alternatives were a free exit in 2027 or a sale now. Arsenal chose the money.

Martinelli arrived from Brazilian fourth-tier side Ituano in 2019 as an 18-year-old and quickly became a fan favourite. His best campaign came in 2022-23, when he scored 15 Premier League goals as Arsenal pushed Manchester City for the title.

Since then, competition for the wide roles has grown every summer and his minutes had dwindled. After more than 200 appearances, he leaves as a popular figure whose ceiling never quite matched that breakout season.

Al-Hilal and the Saudi pull on Premier League talent

Al-Hilal are Saudi Arabia’s most decorated club and the league’s most aggressive buyer in Europe since 2023. Having signed Theo Hernandez from AC Milan in 2025, they have now added a 25-year-old Premier League winger in his prime years.

That is the real story here. The Saudi Pro League is no longer a retirement destination for players in their thirties. It is targeting players at their peak, with wages the Premier League cannot compete with.

With Al-Nassr level at the top of the table, Al-Hilal need an edge. Martinelli’s pace and directness are well suited to a league that offers far more space in transition than the Premier League.

What it means for Arsenal and the Premier League

Arsenal now have £60m in the bank and a thinner set of options on the left. Several English outlets report the club could look for a replacement winger before the domestic window closes, but no target has been confirmed and any names linked should be treated as speculation until Arsenal make an announcement.

For the wider Premier League, the move is a warning. Clubs holding players on expiring contracts will find Saudi buyers ready to pay full price, and managers will have less leverage to keep unhappy squad members.

The Saudi window stays open later than England’s, which explains the timing. Arsenal have moved fast to bank the fee. Whether they reinvest it just as quickly is the question supporters will be asking this week.

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