Arsenal look set to complete one of the most significant outgoing deals of their recent era, with Gabriel Martinelli now travelling to Saudi Arabia to finalise his move to Al-Hilal. According to TeamTalk, the transfer is advancing to its closing stages after internal concern that the Brazil international might yet hesitate over the switch.
That anxiety now appears to have lifted. As reported, “Martinelli is due in Saudi Arabia to undergo his medical and complete the final formalities of his transfer”, with the expectation that he and Ollie Watkins will be unveiled by Al-Hilal over the weekend. For Arsenal, there is obvious relief in that development, because the deal had reached the point where any late change of heart would have created major disruption to plans in the final stretch of the window.
The financials matter too. “Martinelli’s transfer will be worth £56million (€65m, $76m).” In Arsenal terms, that is a landmark figure. “That makes Martinelli’s departure a club-record sale for Arsenal, surpassing the £35million they received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017.” In a market where elite Premier League attackers command inflated prices, Arsenal have secured a sizeable fee for a player who arrived from Ituano in 2019 and developed into a regular first-team presence.
Arsenal transfer fallout takes shape
The wider significance lies in what comes next. Arsenal are already moving to address the gap on the left. The report states that “The Gunners are working hard on a left-sided attacking player to fill the void created by Martinelli’s departure” as Mikel Arteta assesses the final balance of his forward options. With Christos Tzolis already through the door and Leandro Trossard also on his way out, there is logic to the club seeking another wide attacker before the deadline.
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One name mentioned is Igor Paixao, while the longer-running Julian Alvarez story has not disappeared. As the article notes, Arsenal…
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