Martinelli’s record Arsenal exit brings gratitude and unease
Martinelli’s record Arsenal exit brings gratitude and unease
Gabriel Martinelli’s £60m move to Al-Hilal is being presented as both a landmark piece of business for Arsenal and a difficult ending for a player who helped deliver major trophies. While the club and manager stress mutual understanding, Ian Wright questioned the treatment of a popular forward pushed down the pecking order.
The Brazil international’s departure closes a seven-year Arsenal career in which he grew from a teenager signed from Ituano into a Premier League winner and regular international. Yet the transfer also underlines the ruthlessness of Arsenal’s squad refresh, with Martinelli left out of the first two matchday squads and told he was not part of Mikel Arteta’s plans this season.
Arsenal confirmed that the 25-year-old has joined the Saudi Pro League side permanently after making 278 appearances and scoring 62 goals. The £60m fee, reported to include a sell-on clause, eclipses the previous club sale record and gives Arsenal a substantial return on their £6m 2019 investment. Martinelli has signed a four-year contract, with reports suggesting Al-Hilal’s offer significantly improved on his Arsenal wages.
The club’s farewell focused on his contribution to silverware, saying he had played “an integral role” in Arsenal’s Premier League title, 2020 FA Cup and 2023 Community Shield success. Martinelli struck a similarly warm note in his goodbye, writing that he had found “a family that took care of me and watched me grow” and thanking supporters for making him feel at home.
But the circumstances of the exit drew a different response from Wright. The former Arsenal striker said: “The way Martinelli is being treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable,” arguing that any departure should also reflect how the player wanted to leave. Arteta, by contrast, said the talks had been constructive, describing the outcome as one that would come only if “everybody agrees to that.”
Write a comment