Gabriel Martinelli has completed his move from Arsenal to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in a £60 million deal, ending his seven-year spell with the Premier League club.
According to Sky Sports, the transfer consists of a fixed fee and a sell-on clause, surpassing Arsenal’s previous record sale of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who joined Liverpool for £40 million in 2017.
Martinelli joined Arsenal from Brazilian club Ituano as an 18-year-old and departs as the most expensive player ever sold by the Gunners.
The transfer fee is also expected to represent pure profit on Arsenal’s accounts because the Brazil international was signed as a teenager, according to Sky Sports.
The 25-year-old had attracted interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray, who reportedly offered about £38.9 million. However, Martinelli was unwilling to make the move to Turkey at this stage of his career.
His departure takes Arsenal’s income from player sales this summer beyond £120 million.
Leandro Trossard has already left the club for Besiktas, while Arsenal have signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. Tzolis started the Gunners’ opening two Premier League matches of the season while Martinelli was absent.
Martinelli’s exit comes after a difficult final campaign in north London. He made 30 Premier League appearances last season but started just 11 games, his lowest number of league starts since the 2020/21 season.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright had previously criticised the way Martinelli was being treated, saying the situation made him “uncomfortable” and that the winger deserved “more respect”.
Martinelli leaves Arsenal after making 191 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring 41 goals and providing 24 assists.
