Arsenal agree to sell Gabriel Martinelli to Al-Hilal: Details here
What's the story
Arsenal are on the verge of a major transfer deal, having agreed to sell Gabriel Martinelli to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal for a club-record fee of £55.7 million, as per Sky Sports News. The move will eclipse the previous record set in 2017 when Arsenal sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool for £40 million. Martinelli has been given permission to undergo a medical examination with Al-Hilal as part of the transfer process.
Gabi
Martinelli's uncertain future and Saudi Arabia move
Martinelli's future has been uncertain during this transfer window, especially after Arsenal's pursuit of another left winger following the departure of Leandro Trossard and Christos Tzolis's arrival.
Although Turkish club Galatasaray showed interest in the Brazilian, he turned down the opportunity to move to Turkey's Super Lig.
Instead, he reached an agreement with Al Hilal after talks intensified over recent days.
Career
Martinelli's journey at Arsenal
Martinelli joined Arsenal from Brazilian fourth-division club Ituano in 2019.
He had a stellar debut season, scoring 10 goals in 26 appearances.
Under Mikel Arteta's management, he became an integral part of the first team.
The winger was instrumental in Arsenal's return to Europe in the 2021/22 season and scored 15 goals during their Premier League title chase the following year.
Numbers
62 goals in Arsenal colors
In his last three seasons with Arsenal, Martinelli scored 29 goals.
Despite a dip in form, he remained a key player and scored important goals as the team won the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final last season.
The Brazilian international has made 278 first-team appearances for Arsenal and scored 62 goals across competitions.
41 of his goals have come in 191 Premier League appearances.
Dual departures
Jesus set for Barcelona move
Along with Martinelli, fellow Brazilian and Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus is also set to leave the club.
Arsenal has agreed in principle to an £8.6 million deal with Barcelona for his transfer.
The details of both transfers are being finalized, with plans for Jesus's trip to Spain possibly as early as Monday.
This comes after the player was also linked with a move to Serie A side Napoli.
Other transfers
Vieira on his way to Hamburg
Along with Martinelli and Jesus, Arsenal have also agreed to sell Fabio Vieira to Hamburg for around £7.7 million. The midfielder is already on his way to Germany to finalize the move.
With these three transfers, Martinelli, Jesus, and Vieira, Arsenal could rake in a total of around £72 million in transfer fees this window.
So far, they have already made £45 million from sales during this transfer period.