Arsenal transfer news: Arsenal are in active discussions with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal over a permanent transfer for winger Gabriel Martinelli, with the Gunners placing a £60 million asking price on the 25-year-old Brazilian. The Standard, citing a report from The Athletic, confirmed that Martinelli is open to making the switch, and Arsenal are equally willing to sell if the price is right. Martinelli has one year remaining on his contract, though the club hold an option to extend it by a further 12 months.
Arsenal transfer news: Al Hilal eye £60m Martinelli deal
Galatasaray had previously registered formal interest, but the Brazilian rejected that approach. His complete absence from Mikel Arteta’s matchday squads for both the Community Shield against Manchester City and the Premier League opener against Coventry City raised immediate eyebrows, with Arteta attributing the omissions to physical conditioning and squad size restrictions under Premier League rules.
Arsenal transfer news: Why this deal works for both sides
That’s the cold, blunt reality of where Martinelli stands at Arsenal right now. Frozen out. Not injured, conditioned out, according to Arteta’s careful framing. But anyone watching closely knows this is over.
His 2025/26 campaign told the honest story before this summer confirmed it. 49 appearances across all competitions produced just seven goals and six assists. Domestically, the numbers were brutal, with one Premier League goal across 30 appearances, with 19 of those coming off the bench, logging 1,088 minutes.
That’s not a winger competing for a first-team spot; that’s a squad filler. His Champions League numbers, six goals and two assists in fourteen games as Arsenal reached the final, showed he still has real quality, but Arteta’s system no longer suits him at club level.
The signing of Christos Tzolis to cover the left has essentially made Martinelli redundant tactically. Arteta now wants an inside playmaker on that flank, not someone hugging the touchline and running channels on the counter. Martinelli’s game is built on exactly that: acceleration, directness, transition, and the squad has moved past it.
Arsenal transfer news: The Saudi move makes financial sense
For Arsenal, £50–60 million for a fringe attacker whose contract expires next summer is outstanding business. This is Berta and Arteta managing assets efficiently. Moving a player at peak sale value before he walks for free or loses further market worth. That windfall funds a late-window move for a more complete forward profile. Names like Bradley Barcola have been linked, and that money makes such a move structurally possible before the September 1st deadline.
Read: Arsenal ready to sell their £180k-a-week player after Saudi interest, and fans are divided
Martinelli also represented Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, scoring against Japan in four appearances. His international standing remains intact, but staying at Arsenal to sit on the bench will erode that quickly. Al Hilal offer him a guaranteed starting role, significant financial reward, and a transition-heavy league that suits his direct, high-tempo style perfectly. He already rejected Galatasaray to protect his European options, but with Arteta’s door clearly shut, the Saudi route has become the only credible exit.
