Gabriel Martinelli joins Al-Hilal in £60m move

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has made a permanent move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for a guaranteed fee of £60m, which includes an additional sell-on fee. This high-profile transfer officially brings to a close the Brazil international's seven-year journey in north London since arriving from Brazilian club Ituano back in 2019.

The 25-year-old attacker has put pen to paper on a long-term contract with Al-Hilal, a club currently sitting joint-top of the league table alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. The decision followed the final 12 months remaining on his Emirates Stadium contract, coupled with clear instructions from manager Mikel Arteta that the player did not feature in his tactical blueprint for the ongoing season.

Upon moving to the Middle East, Martinelli will join forces with England striker Ollie Watkins, who arrived from Aston Villa for £51m, and Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville, who transferred from West Ham following their relegation. Financial terms offered by Al-Hilal are widely believed to significantly surpass his previous reported £180,000-a-week wages at Arsenal.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

During the previous campaign, Martinelli made 53 appearances across all competitions and netted 11 goals, helping the Gunners secure their first top-flight league title since 2004. Despite those achievements, he was omitted from Arsenal's opening two matchday squads of the new season as Arteta made it clear playing time would be severely restricted.

"The way Martinelli is being treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable,"

Ian Wright

Source: BBC Sport