Arsenal set to smash their transfer record as Martinelli nears £55m Al-Hilal move

Arsenal are on the verge of selling Gabriel Martinelli to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for around £55.7m (€65m), a fee that would shatter the club’s record for an outgoing transfer ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

The Brazilian winger, 23, is set to fly to the Middle East in the coming days to undergo a medical and finalise the deal. Should it complete as expected, it will eclipse the £35m Arsenal received from Liverpool for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back in 2017 — a record that has stood for eight years.

Mikel Arteta addressed Martinelli’s situation at his pre-match press conference, saying: “That’s another personal situation that we’re dealing with. I think everybody knows and recognises how much we love Gabi. Whatever the outcome is, it will be because everybody agrees to that.”

Martinelli arrived from Brazilian club Ituano in 2019 and leaves having scored 62 goals in 278 appearances across all competitions, including a key role in Arsenal’s Premier League title win last season.

The winger is not the only title winner heading for the exit. Striker Gabriel Jesus is expected to complete a move to Barcelona before the window closes, while Fabio Vieira is in advanced talks over an £8.6m switch to Hamburg.

Asked why Jesus was absent from training, Arteta offered a carefully worded response: “It’s something to do with the numbers that we have in the squad at the moment and the way we’re managing that kind of situation individually with all the players — they have some personal situations.”

The Arsenal manager also confirmed he had spoken directly with both Martinelli and Jesus about their futures. “Yes, for sure. Those conversations go both ways, but I’m very satisfied with how these conversations went because I know what is in each other’s hearts,” Arteta said. “But it’s inevitable at some point you need to have certain discussions and say certain things that sometimes are tough.”

The departures form part of a significant squad overhaul at the Emirates. Leandro Trossard, Christian Norgaard, and Jakub Kiwior have already left North London in recent weeks, and academy product Reiss Nelson had his contract cancelled by mutual consent. On the inbound side, Arsenal have invested heavily, bringing in Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis, Ezri Konsa, and Piero Hincapie as Arteta reshapes his squad for a title defence.