Gabriel Martinelli Leaves Arsenal for Al-Hilal in Record £60m Transfer

Financial Scale and Record-Breaking Terms

The deal establishes a new outbound financial benchmark for the Gunners. According to reporting by The Guardian, Martinelli’s £60m fee surpasses Arsenal’s previous club record for a departing player—the £40m received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017. L’Équipe initially reported the total package near 70 M€, while concrete details confirmed by English outlets outline a base structure that also incorporates a future sell-on clause. The forward arrived in North London from Ituano back in 2019 and gradually slid down Mikel Arteta’s pecking order despite remaining an active contributor in the squad.

Roster Shuffling at the Emirates Stadium

Martinelli’s departure coincides with a heavy wave of attacking turnover for the Premier League champions. Fellow left-winger Leandro Trossard also exited this week, completing a permanent sale to Turkish side Besiktas. To offset these departures, Arsenal secured Christos Tzolis from Club Bruges. However, losing two wingers who combined for 19 goals last season leaves the squad facing thin margins on the flank. Mikel Arteta intends to lean on Eberechi Eze to absorb heavy minutes on the left wing this season, with Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka providing additional coverage options on that side of the pitch.

Immediate Fixture Pressure and Upcoming Tests

The timing of the transfer leaves little room for adjustment as the domestic calendar accelerates. Arsenal prepares to host Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium for a London derby on Sunday, followed immediately by international travel to Italy. The club will journey to face Napoli on Wednesday, September 9, opening their UEFA Champions League campaign away from home. Meanwhile, the Saudi Pro League transfer window remains active through Sunday, allowing Al-Hilal to finalize registration ahead of their next domestic fixture.

Broader Deadline Activity in North London

Arsenal’s front office stayed busy managing peripheral squad assets during the final stretch of the window. Gabriel Jesus wrapped up an £8.6m move to Barcelona earlier in the week, joining Martinelli on the list of Brazilian departures from the Emirates Stadium. The club also oversaw Fábio Vieira’s permanent transfer to Hamburg on deadline day while opting against bringing in further external replacements for the senior squad. On the financial ledger, Arsenal picked up roughly £3m from Brook Norton-Cuffy’s £14m switch from Genoa to Hull City via an active sell-on clause, though a potential windfall fell through when Folarin Balogun’s proposed move to Everton collapsed.