Gabriel Martinelli

Official: Martinelli signs four years at Al-Hilal in a record Arsenal sale

Arsenal announced on 3 September that Gabriel Martinelli has joined Al-Hilal on a permanent transfer, subject to the completion of regulatory processes. The Saudi club confirmed it on their own official site. Sky Sports and ESPN both put the deal at £60m fixed plus a sell-on percentage, on a four-year contract running to 2030, making it the biggest sale in Arsenal’s history. The Brazilian, signed from Ituano in July 2019, leaves after 278 appearances and 62 goals. The English window had closed on 1 September; it was the Saudi market, open until the 6th, that allowed the deal to be finished.

Latest development

1. 3 September — Done. Arsenal put out their statement on Thursday: a permanent transfer to Al-Hilal, subject to the completion of regulatory processes, with the Saudi club confirming it on their side. Sky Sports and ESPN both report £60m fixed plus a percentage of any future sale, on a four-year deal to 2030. That breaks Arsenal’s sale record, held since 2017 by Oxlade-Chamberlain’s move to Liverpool. Two unknowns remain: the exact size of the sell-on clause, which Sky Sports confirms without valuing, and the player’s wages, with no top-tier source picking up the $23m a year floated by CBS Sports in late August.

   3 September — Martinelli is in Riyadh. Al-Hilal released footage of his arrival on Tuesday, and Simone Inzaghi said after the game that he intends to use him in the coming fixtures. The Athletic reported the medical was booked for Wednesday, ahead of a four-year contract, and nobody has since confirmed that it went through. The Saudi club still has not published anything, and the Brazilian could not be registered in time for Tuesday night's game against Al-Ahli, which Al-Hilal won 3-0 without him. The figures keep diverging: Ornstein sticks to a fixed 70 million euros with no add-ons, plus a sell-on clause still being negotiated, while Yahoo Sports breaks the deal down into 55.7 million pounds and 4.3 million in add-ons. The Saudi market closes on 6 September.

   2 September — The English window has closed and the announcement is still awaited. Nothing has moved on the official side since the British deadline, but the Saudi market stays open a few days longer, until 6 September according to the published dates, so Al-Hilal still have time to make it public. On the fee, David Ornstein now puts the agreement at a fixed 70 million euros with no add-ons, higher than the 65 million quoted last week, while James Benge reports that a sell-on clause was still being negotiated. Arseblog, in its window review published on 2 September, still writes that Arsenal are about to sell. The line will not move to OFFICIAL until Al-Hilal publish something.

   1 September (evening): still nothing official as the English window shuts. Romano maintains the deal is done and confirmed, Martinelli has been cleared to travel for the final formalities, and the Saudi market stays open longer than the Premier League one, so Al-Hilal's announcement can land after the British deadline. The figures keep moving between sources, more than 65 million euros for some, around 55.7 million pounds including add-ons at Sky Sports, and none of it changes the conclusion: this will be the biggest sale in the club's history. We keep the file at deal agreed between clubs until somebody publishes a statement.

   1 September — Fabrizio Romano calls the transfer done and confirmed, with Arsenal having cleared Martinelli to travel for the final formalities before Al-Hilal announce him. The figures still move from one outlet to the next, over 65 million euros in some reports, around 55 million pounds including add-ons in others, but no version changes the conclusion: this will be the biggest sale in the club's history. Still no official statement at this hour.