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

Brazil guardant Gabriel Martinelli transfers to Saudi Pro League broadside Al-Hilal from Premier League champions Arsenal.

Arsenal guardant Gabriel Martinelli has joined Saudi broadside Al-Hilal, the Premier League champions person announced.

No interest was disclosed but British media reports said the deal, finalised precocious connected Thursday, was worthy a guaranteed 60 cardinal pounds ($81m).

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That would marque 25-year-old Brazil planetary Martinelli the astir costly subordinate to permission the London club, pursuing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s 35 cardinal pounds ($47m) exit to Liverpool successful 2017.

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

“Gabriel Martinelli has joined Saudi Pro League broadside Al-Hilal connected a imperishable transfer,” said a connection connected Arsenal’s website.

“Proud to beryllium blue, arrogant to beryllium Al-Hilal,” said Martinelli during an unveiling video connected his caller club’s societal media channels.

He volition articulation Ollie Watkins astatine Al-Hilal aft the England striker near Aston Villa successful a woody worthy an estimated 51 cardinal pounds ($69m).

Martinelli’s departure comes aft Arsenal sold chap left-sided guardant Leandro Trossard to Besiktas.

Christos Tzolis has joined from Club Brugge, but determination are concerns that the exits of Martinelli and Trossard could permission Arsenal abbreviated of unit successful that portion of the pitch.

Martinelli made 53 appearances successful each competitions past season, scoring 11 goals, arsenic the Gunners won the top-flight rubric for the archetypal clip since 2004.

His astir 300 games for Arsenal, including 62 goals, besides saw him progressive successful their 2020 FA Cup and 2023 Community Shield successes.

He was near retired of Arsenal’s archetypal 2 matchday squads of the season, however, with manager Mikel Arteta making it wide Martinelli would conflict for crippled clip were helium to stay astatine the Emirates Stadium.

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

“The mode Martinelli is being treated astatine the moment, it truly makes maine consciousness uncomfortable,” Wright told Sky Sports.

“I cognize they mightiness privation him out, and a batch of radical mightiness say, ‘yeah, it’s clip for him to determination him on’. But there’s ways of doing that, and it should suit him arsenic well, however helium wants to leave.”

The closure of the European transportation window connected Tuesday lone prevents clubs wrong the continent from buying players, but not from selling them.