Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal after a seven-year spell at Arsenal. The 25-year-old joined the Saudi Arabian club on Thursday for a fee of 60 million pounds, which includes a sell-on clause. This transfer marks the most lucrative departure in Arsenal's history, eclipsing the previous record set by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's 2017 exit to Liverpool.
Martinelli joined Arsenal from Ituano in 2019 and made 278 appearances for the club, earning 27 caps for Brazil. Although he was part of the squad that won the Premier League title last season, he had recently fallen down the pecking order. He was left out of the squad for the Community Shield victory over Manchester City and subsequent Premier League wins over Coventry and Aston Villa. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright stated that the treatment of Martinelli left him feeling uncomfortable and that the player deserved more respect.
The departure comes after fellow left-sided forward Leandro Trossard was sold to Besiktas last month. While the Gunners have signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, the loss of both Martinelli and Trossard may leave Arsenal exposed on that side of the field. Eberechi Eze is expected to feature more as a left-sided forward, and the club believes England duo Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka can also operate on that flank. The move was completed ahead of the Saudi Pro League transfer deadline this Sunday.