Gabriel Martinelli seals £60m Al-Hilal move after Arsenal exit | OneFootball

Gabriel Martinelli has left Arsenal for Al-Hilal in a £60m transfer, ending his seven-year stay after being frozen out at the start of the season.

Arsenal approved the move, the 25-year-old signing a long-term contract with the Riyadh club that includes a sell-on clause. He joined from Ituano in 2019. In his unveiling video he said, "Proud to be blue, proud to be Al-Hilal."

He made 53 appearances and scored 11 goals last season as Arsenal won their first league title since 2004. With 12 months left on his deal, he was reportedly told he did not fit Mikel Arteta’s plans for this campaign.

That call has divided supporters, given his longevity and impact. The winger has 191 Premier League appearances, though he started only 11 league games in the title run. Former striker Ian Wright said, "The way Martinelli is being treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable," he told Sky Sports.

Reports suggest his salary in Saudi Arabia far exceeds the £180,000-per-week he earned in the Premier League. He rejected a move to Galatasaray of Türkiye earlier this summer after a bid of about £38.9m. Al-Hilal, managed by Simone Inzaghi, are contesting top spot alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and have spent aggressively to chase domestic and continental success.

Source: Goal.com

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