Arsenal sell Martinelli to Al-Hilal in post-transfer deadline day deal

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has joined Saudi side Al-Hilal, the Premier League champions have announced.

No fee was disclosed but British media reports said the deal, finalised late on Thursday, was worth a guaranteed 60 million pounds ($81m).

That would make 25-year-old Brazil international Martinelli the most expensive player to leave the London club, following Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s 35 million pounds ($47m) exit to Liverpool in 2017.

Martinelli has signed a four-year deal with Al-Hilal, who are currently joint-top of the Saudi Pro League with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.

“Gabriel Martinelli has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal on a permanent transfer,” said a statement on Arsenal’s website.

“Proud to be blue, proud to be Al-Hilal,” said Martinelli during an unveiling video on his new club’s social media channels.

He will join Ollie Watkins at Al-Hilal after the England striker left Aston Villa in a deal worth an estimated 51 million pounds ($69m).

Martinelli’s departure comes after Arsenal sold fellow left-sided forward Leandro Trossard to Besiktas.

Christos Tzolis has joined from Club Brugge, but there are concerns that the exits of Martinelli and Trossard could leave Arsenal short of personnel in that part of the pitch.

Martinelli made 53 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring 11 goals, as the Gunners won the top-flight title for the first time since 2004.

His nearly 300 games for Arsenal, including 62 goals, also saw him involved in their 2020 FA Cup and 2023 Community Shield successes.

He was left out of Arsenal’s first two matchday squads of the season, however, with manager Mikel Arteta making it clear Martinelli would struggle for game time were he to remain at the Emirates Stadium.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright criticised the club’s decision to omit Martinelli from the squad for the opening game against Coventry.

“The way Martinelli is being treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable,” Wright told Sky Sports.

“I know they might want him out, and a lot of people might say, ‘yeah, it’s time for him to move him on’. But there’s ways of doing that, and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave.”

The closure of the European transfer window on Tuesday only prevents clubs within the continent from buying players, but not from selling them.