Gabriel Martinelli’s departure from Arsenal was apparently something both sides felt had reached the right moment.
The Brazilian left for Al-Hilal in the summer after seven years in north London. Arsenal received €70m (£60.9m), making him the biggest sale in the club’s history.
Now one of his agents has explained a little more about why the move happened. Federico Pena, another executive that worked in the deal, already spoke about it a few week ago. And both are certain that winning the Premier League last season seems to have played a big part.
Arsenal and Martinelli agreed his cycle was over
Speaking to Brazil’s Itatiaia, agent Marcos Casseb said Martinelli’s camp felt his “cycle” at Arsenal had come to an end.
“We think his cycle at Arsenal had ended. It was seven years, he arrived there at 18, and Arsenal went through a huge rebuild. Last year they were Premier League champions,” he said.
“I think he completed his cycle. He arrived young. He was the only player who was there before Arteta, apart from Saka, who came through the academy.”
More importantly for Arsenal, this wasn’t simply Martinelli deciding he wanted something different. Casseb says the Gunners had reached much the same conclusion.
“We thought it was time for him to move, and the club also saw it that way. It was a very good departure for him and for Arsenal.”
“On top of everything, he managed to become Arsenal’s biggest sale ever and Arsenal made a lot of money from selling him.”
That makes the whole thing look like a pretty clean break. Martinelli had arrived from Ituano in 2019 and went on to make 278 appearances for Arsenal. He scored 62 goals and provided 34 assists.
Seven years later, with a Premier League title finally secured, both sides apparently felt they had gone as far as they needed to together.
The €70m (£60.9m) from Al-Hilal certainly made that decision easier for Arsenal too.
| Every Arsenal signing 26/27 | Nationality | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Guimarães | Brazil | Newcastle United | £75m |
| Ezri Konsa | England | Aston Villa | £51m |
| Christos Tzolis | Grecce | Club Brugge | £34m |
| Illan Meslier | France | Leeds United | Free |
| Piero Hincapié | Colombia | Bayer Leverkusen | £34.5m |
Saudi Arabia now, Corinthians one day
Martinelli signed a four-year deal with Al-Hilal, taking him through to 2030. He has started quickly in Saudi Arabia as well. The 25-year-old has three goals from his first four appearances, with all three coming in the 6-0 win over Al-Taawoun.
There is already some thought being given to what happens after Saudi Arabia, although nobody should expect another move anytime soon.
Meu Timão picked up further comments from Casseb in the same interview, with the agent revealing Martinelli wants to play for Corinthians one day.
“I think a little further down the line, yes [returning to Brazilian football]. He has four years on his contract there, until he’s 29,” Casseb said.
“He does have the dream of returning, playing for Corinthians, the club he came from, his passion. He wants to return one day, yes.”
Martinelli spent part of his childhood at Corinthians before he moved to Ituano. So there’s already a rough idea of where he would like the final stages of his career to take him.
For now, though, Saudi Arabia is only just beginning. Arsenal was a seven-year chapter, and according to his agent, winning the Premier League was a pretty good place to put the full stop.
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