RIYADH: Brazilian star Gabriel Martinelli has joined Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al-Hilal from Premier League champions Arsenal in a £60 million deal, marking another major signing for Saudi football.
Arsenal confirmed the transfer of the 25-year-old forward, who joined the English club from Brazilian side Ituano in 2019.
The £60 million transfer represents a record sale for Arsenal, surpassing the £40 million the London club received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017.
The agreement is also understood to contain a sell-on clause.
Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal Secure Martinelli
Martinelli has signed a four-year contract worth around £17 million per season with Al-Hilal, committing his future to one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent clubs.
The move had been widely anticipated after the two clubs reached an agreement last week and was completed before Saudi Arabia’s transfer window closes on Sunday.
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Martinelli arrives in Saudi Arabia after seven years at Arsenal, where he developed into a prominent Premier League attacker and was part of the squad that won the English league title last season.
His move adds another high-profile international player to Saudi football as clubs in the Kingdom continue strengthening their squads with established talent from Europe’s leading leagues.
Martinelli Leaves Arsenal After Seven Years
The Brazilian made the move to Arsenal from Ituano as a teenager in 2019 and went on to establish himself in the first team.
His departure follows that of fellow Brazilian Gabriel Jesus, who joined Barcelona this week for £8.6 million. Arsenal also sold Fábio Vieira to Hamburg on transfer deadline day.
Martinelli had fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates despite contributing to Arsenal’s Premier League-winning campaign.
His arrival represents a significant acquisition for Al-Hilal and further underlines the growing ability of Saudi clubs to compete for established international players in the global transfer market.
The deal also gives Martinelli a new chapter in his career at 25, with the Brazilian joining one of Asia’s most prominent football clubs on a long-term contract.
