- Arsenal and Al Hilal are close to finalising a package over €65m, with an initial fee of £50m plus add-ons discussed
- Gabriel Martinelli’s medical will be booked soon as negotiations move into the last stages
- If completed, the transfer will become Arsenal’s record sale, surpassing the £35m received for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017
Arsenal and Al Hilal Move Towards Final Agreement
Arsenal and Al Hilal are nearing an agreement for Gabriel Martinelli, with talks now understood to be in the final stages. The overall package is being finalised at over €65m, while Standard Sport understands the proposed structure includes an initial fee of £50m plus add-ons.
The Brazilian winger now looks set to leave Arsenal for Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, with his medical expected to be booked soon. Should the move be completed, it would mark the highest fee Arsenal have ever received for a departing player.
🚨🔵⚪️ Understand Gabriel Martinelli has given green light to Al Hilal move as contracts are being checked.
Al Hilal and Arsenal finalising package over €65m as now all moving to the last stages of negotiations.
Martinelli’s medical will be booked soon. pic.twitter.com/l838TUtFcL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2026
Why Martinelli’s Arsenal Exit Has Become Increasingly Likely
There has been a growing feeling that Martinelli’s spell in north London is approaching its conclusion after seven years at the club. The 25-year-old was omitted from Mikel Arteta’s matchday squad for Arsenal’s Community Shield win over Manchester City and was also left out of last week’s Premier League opener against Coventry.
Martinelli had initially wanted to remain at Arsenal and rejected a switch to Turkiye despite interest from Galatasaray. However, frank discussions with Arteta about his place in the squad have made him more receptive to a move away.
Al Hilal then became a serious destination, and talks between the clubs have advanced significantly. Martinelli has also been offered a contract that would bring a major increase on his current £180,000-a-week salary.
A Potential Club-Record Sale
If the move proceeds as expected, Martinelli’s sale will eclipse Arsenal’s existing outgoing transfer record. At present, the club’s biggest sale remains the £35m received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017.
Martinelli joined Arsenal from Brazilian side Ituano in the summer of 2019 for a fee of around £6m. He has spent the whole of Arteta’s reign at the club and has scored 62 goals for Arsenal. After several near-misses in recent years, he also contributed to the title-winning campaign last season.
Arsenal’s Left-Wing Refresh Continues
Martinelli’s expected departure would continue Arsenal’s reshaping of the left side of their attack. Leandro Trossard left earlier this summer to join Besiktas, while Christos Tzolis arrived from Club Brugge as his replacement.
It is not definite that Arsenal will directly replace Martinelli during the final week of the transfer window. The club have held long-term interest in Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, but he has sustained a foot injury and is set for a period on the sidelines.
Julian Alvarez remains Arsenal’s leading target, although that deal is viewed as difficult and the club are still waiting for encouragement from his representatives. The Gunners are prepared to be ambitious financially if Alvarez becomes available to them, just as they were with Vinicius Jr earlier this summer.
However, Arsenal do not intend to spend heavily without conviction and will not pay inflated prices for players they believe are valued well above the club’s own assessments.
