Gabriel Martinelli's Arsenal Exit: A Cold Call from Arteta
Gabriel Martinelli’s Arsenal story is almost over. Not with a farewell tour or a gentle winding down, but with a blunt message from Mikel Arteta: find a new club.
The Brazilian winger is closing in on a move to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, a transfer that would abruptly end a long and decorated spell in north London. For Arsenal’s longest-serving player to be ushered towards the exit in such ruthless fashion underlines just how hard-edged the Premier League champions have become under Arteta.
Arteta’s cold call
According to reports, Arteta has been explicit with Martinelli about his future. There isn’t one at Arsenal. The 23-year-old has been frozen out of recent matchday squads, not even making the bench as the new season kicked off. For a player who has been part of the club’s rise from nearly-men to champions, the sudden disappearance from the picture has been striking.
Inside the dressing room, it has not gone unnoticed. ESPN reports “some discomfort” among the squad at the way the situation has been handled, with several team-mates strongly sympathetic towards Martinelli. This is not a fringe player being quietly moved on; this is a popular figure, an ever-present through Arsenal’s rebuild, being cut adrift.
Flashpoint at Wembley
The tension spiked around the Community Shield. Arsenal beat Manchester City, lifted another piece of silverware, and Martinelli watched it all from the outside. Arteta left him out of the squad entirely, which meant no place on the pitch, no place on the bench, and no winners’ medal.
That decision, the same report claims, “greatly disappointed” Martinelli and angered senior players who felt his total omission was unnecessary. It felt symbolic. A line in the sand. For many, it was the moment the writing on the wall turned into a billboard.
Left flank revolution
The signs had been building all summer. Arsenal paid around £34 million for highly rated forward Christos Tzolis, a clear investment in the attacking positions Martinelli has occupied. On top of that, the club launched an ambitious, ultimately unsuccessful move for Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.
Those moves told their own story. Arteta was not just tweaking his options on the left; he was ready to rip it up and start again. In that context, Martinelli’s marginalisation looks less like a shock and more like the inevitable consequence of a planned overhaul.
From cornerstone to casualty
Martinelli’s journey makes the current situation all the more stark. Since his first-team debut in 2019, he has amassed close to 300 appearances in all competitions, growing from raw teenager to key attacking weapon. Even as his individual influence dipped slightly last season, he still played an important part in Arsenal’s run to the Champions League final and their first league title since 2004.
Yet when Arsenal opened their Premier League campaign against Coventry City, his name was missing again. Not injured. Not rested. Omitted. At that point, any lingering hope of a late U-turn faded. This was not rotation. This was a phase-out.
Saudi move gathers pace
Interest has not been in short supply. Turkish giants Galatasaray made an approach, but that failed to convince the Brazilian. Instead, Globo Esporte reports that Martinelli has now given the green light to a move to Saudi Arabia, having initially hesitated over the switch.
Al Hilal are pushing to get the deal done, with personal terms not expected to be a major hurdle given the financial power of the Saudi Pro League. The focus has shifted to the fee.
Arsenal are holding out for a package of around £60 million for a player they have developed and leaned on for years. ESPN, though, suggests the final figure could land closer to £40 million once negotiations shake out.
If that lower number is where it ends, it will underline just how determined Arsenal are to draw a line under this chapter and accelerate into the next. The champions are evolving fast. The question now is whether they are losing more than just a winger as they push one of their own out of the door.
