Seven years, 278 games, and a fee Arsenal will not name
Arsenal's statement on Gabriel Martinelli's move to Al-Hilal counts the appearances and the trophies and stops there. The 60 million pounds everyone is printing is reported, not confirmed.
Gabriel Martinelli has left Arsenal after seven years. The club confirmed the permanent transfer to Al-Hilal in a statement that adds up his time in north London — 278 appearances, 62 goals, last season’s Premier League title, the 2020 FA Cup, the 2023 Community Shield.
What the statement does not add up is the money. No figure, no valuation, not even the usual line about undisclosed terms. He arrived from Ituano in July 2019 as a teenager nobody outside São Paulo had heard of, and he leaves at 25 for the Saudi Pro League.
The number going round
English and international outlets have settled on 60 million pounds, or roughly 70 million euros, with no add-ons, and called it the most Arsenal have ever received for a player — ahead of the 38 million euros Liverpool paid for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017.
Worth keeping the distinction. A figure carried by several outlets is probably close, but it is still reported rather than confirmed, and Saudi football has a track record of announced numbers and actual numbers drifting apart. Martinelli has signed a four-year deal, through to 2030.
Why it matters from here
Al-Hilal is not a remote club if you follow football from Portugal. It is where Jorge Jesus built much of the CV that brought him home, and the national coach now starts with four games in eleven days.
Southern Europe cannot answer this one anyway: the Liga’s transfer window shuts on Friday while Saudi Arabia’s stays open for weeks yet. That gap, more than the fee, is what decides who can sell and who can buy in September.
By Vasco Almada
Image: David / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
