Arsenal Transfer News: Gabriel Martinelli is on his way out of Arsenal, with Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal agreeing to a verbal deal worth up to £56.5 million (€65m) with the north London club. According to CBS Sports journalist James Benge, who first broke the fee structure, the package comprises a guaranteed €58 million base fee with €8 million in performance-related add-ons. BBC’s Sami Mokbel confirmed the talks had advanced considerably, noting a minimum £50m floor for the deal.
Arsenal Transfer News: Arsenal and Al Hilal close in on record £56.5m Martinelli deal
Football.London’s Tom Canton added that Arsenal are pushing for a sell-on clause, while transfer insider Fabrizio Romano verified the verbal agreement between the clubs and confirmed that personal terms are now being negotiated directly with Martinelli’s representatives. The 25-year-old winger’s approval remains the final outstanding hurdle.
Arsenal transfer news: Arteta’s brutal logic and what it means
Martinelli’s exit is, strip away the sentiment, a masterclass in ruthless asset management. Arsenal have historically been terrible at selling players at the right moment; letting contracts run thin, values erode, and leverage evaporate. Getting £56.5m for a player who scored just one Premier League goal in 2025/26 and started only 11 league matches? That’s a serious win for Berta and Arteta, full stop.
His Champions League numbers, 6 goals and 2 assists in 14 games, prove there’s still quality there, but domestically he’s been a ghost. In a side that now controls possession and territory as a default, the chaotic transitional football Martinelli genuinely thrives in simply doesn’t appear anymore. Christos Tzolis arrived, and Martinelli was mentally written off before this bid landed.
Read: Arsenal in pole position to complete sensational £128m summer transfer
Arsenal transfer news: Risks Arsenal can’t ignore
The dangers are real, though. Losing both Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, who left for Besiktas, strips the left flank down to one largely untested option in Tzolis. One injury, and that’s a genuine crisis. Reports suggest the dressing room has noticed exactly how abruptly Martinelli was frozen out, including missing the Community Shield and the season opener against Coventry City, which doesn’t do team morale any favours. Still, cold margins drive decisions in elite football. €65m total for an out-of-favour winger is a number you don’t turn down.
