Martinelli leaves Arsenal for four-year Al-Hilal deal

Gabriel Martinelli has completed a move from Arsenal to Al-Hilal, ending seven years in north London. The transfer was confirmed on 3 September, with a four-year contract and a reported £60 million fixed fee plus a sell-on clause. Martinelli trained with his new team that evening and made his debut as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Al-Shabab the next day. Transfer news also feeds quickly into match markets, where line-ups, role changes and availability matter more than the headline itself; prices can move across desktop, match centres and 1xBet mobile before kick-off. For Arsenal, the deal removes another wide option after major attacking changes.

Seven years at Arsenal end with a major sale

Martinelli joined Arsenal in 2019 and leaves with 278 appearances and 62 goals. He was part of the squad that won the Premier League last season, the FA Cup in 2020 and the Community Shield in 2023.

His role had become less secure last season. Sky Sports notes that he started only 11 league matches last season, while Mikel Arteta entered 2026/27 with Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyökeres and new signing Christos Tzolis among his attacking options.

Detail	Confirmed information
Transfer date	3 September 2026
Contract	Four years
Reported fee	£60 million
Arsenal record	278 games, 62 goals
First Al-Hilal appearance	Substitute vs Al-Shabab
Shirt number	7

The fee is significant for Arsenal because it was reported as a club-record sale. It also turns a player signed early in his career into one of the summer’s biggest outgoing deals.

Al-Hilal add pace on either wing

Martinelli entered first-team training immediately after the transfer was completed. Simone Inzaghi then used him from the bench against Al-Shabab, initially on the right before moving him to the left later in the match.

That flexibility is likely to matter because Al-Hilal also added Crysencio Summerville and Ollie Watkins. Martinelli is not limited to one touchline, and his ability to attack space can give Inzaghi different combinations around the front line.

For betting analysis, the important questions are practical rather than reputational:

• whether Martinelli starts or enters from the bench;
• which flank he occupies;
• how many minutes he is expected to play;
• who takes the central attacking role;
• whether his arrival changes shot and goal involvement for teammates.

Those details can affect player props, team totals and handicap markets more directly than the size of the transfer fee.

Arsenal reshape the attack without him

Martinelli is not the only forward to leave Arsenal. Gabriel Jesus moved to Barcelona, Leandro Trossard departed, and Arteta has had to rebalance the attack around a different group of players.

The early league results suggest Arsenal have coped well. They opened the season with three straight wins, scoring six goals and conceding once. Arteta also said after the Chelsea victory that the team can still improve on last season’s title-winning level.

That does not make Martinelli’s departure irrelevant. His pace and direct running offered a specific option against high defensive lines, and Arsenal will now need that threat to come from other players. Betting markets around Arsenal’s goals, wide-player shots and title prospects can also shift with actual team selections and player availability.

His first matches will show how the role develops

A transfer can change expectations immediately, but the more useful evidence will come from Martinelli’s actual role under Inzaghi. His substitute appearance against Al-Shabab already showed that he can switch sides during the same game.

If that pattern continues, tactical changes can alter which player receives the better shooting positions. Corners, player shots and live betting markets may all react as substitutions and positioning change during a match. On-pitch positioning and substitutions provide more direct evidence of Martinelli’s role than the profile of the transfer itself.

Martinelli’s first weeks will therefore be watched for more than goals. Minutes, starting position, combinations with Watkins and Summerville, and his share of attacking actions will give a clearer picture of how quickly he has settled.

A clean break for both clubs

For Arsenal, the transfer closes a long chapter and creates space in an attack that has already been reworked. For Al-Hilal, it adds a winger with Premier League and Champions League experience on a four-year deal.

Martinelli has said he moved with the aim of competing for trophies, and his first appearance came within 24 hours of completing the transfer. The speed of that introduction suggests Inzaghi intends to integrate him quickly rather than treat the move as a long-term project.

The £60 million reported fee will keep attention on the transfer, but the football questions are simpler. Arsenal must replace the width and running Martinelli provided, while Al-Hilal need to decide where he fits best in a crowded attack. His move is complete; the next stage is measuring what changes on the field. That gives both clubs a clear decision point immediately afterward.