Brazilian Martinelli joins Saudi Al-Hilal from Arsenal

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli has transferred to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, according to a statement from the Premier League champions. The Brazilian forward's £60 million deal (the approximate equivalent of $81 million) makes him the most expensive player to leave the London club since Alex Oxlade Chamberlain's £35 million move to Liverpool in 2017. Martinelli has signed a four-year contract with Al-Hilal, who are currently joint-top of the Saudi Pro League alongside Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.

During a video unveiling his new club's social media channels, Martinelli expressed his excitement about joining Al-Hilal, stating, "Proud to be blue, proud to be Al-Hilal." He will be playing alongside Ollie Watkins at the Saudi side, following Watkins' departure from Aston Villa. Martinelli's presence at Al-Hilal joins fellow left-sided forward Leandro Trossard, who recently transferred to Besiktas.

The exits of Martinelli and Trossard have sparked concerns about Arsenal's future personnel in the left-side of their attack. Arsenal will now need to address this potential gap in their squad. Martinelli made 53 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring 11 goals while contributing to Arsenal's first title win since 2004.

He was also involved in their 2020 FA Cup and 2023 Community Shield successes. However, Martinelli was left out of Arsenal's first two matchday squads of the current season, and manager Mikel Arteta made it clear that Martinelli would struggle for game time if he remained at the club. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright criticized the club's decision, suggesting that there should have been a more dignified way to part ways with the player.