Gabriel Martinelli is unhappy with the way Arsenal have treated him and has been left particularly disappointed by his sudden exclusion from Mikel Arteta’s plans.
That’s according to ESPN Brazil, who bring some interesting details on Monday about what’s been going on behind the scenes.
Martinelli is now negotiating a possible move to Al Hilal. That part of the story is already well established, with the Saudi club in contact with Arsenal and the Brazilian open to the move.
What’s more interesting here is why leaving Arsenal suddenly looks more attractive to him.
🇧🇷 Gabriel Martinelli | Arsenal receive green light for £60m sale ➡️ Big change from earlier stance https://t.co/iBzaiApaaL #afc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) August 24, 2026
Martinelli unhappy with Arsenal treatment
ESPN Brazil says Martinelli “didn’t like” the way he has been treated internally at Arsenal. The 25-year-old feels he has been pushed aside by Arteta, and that’s said to have left him very disappointed.
There has been little attempt to hide his new status either. Martinelli wasn’t included in the squad for Arsenal’s first two matches of the season. He missed the 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City and then the Premier League opener against Coventry City.
Things apparently went a step further after the City match. Despite being part of Arsenal’s squad going into the new season, Martinelli didn’t even receive a medal for the Community Shield triumph.
ESPN says that situation caused some discomfort among other Arsenal players as well. That’s quite a way for Martinelli’s seven years at the club to potentially come towards an end.
He arrived from Ituano in 2019 as a teenager and has spent essentially his entire senior European career with the Gunners. Now he appears to have been very clearly shown that his future should be elsewhere.
Al Hilal move now looks much more attractive
That background also helps explain Martinelli’s change of heart over Saudi Arabia.
Earlier in the summer, information from Brazil stated the forward wasn’t interested in alternative markets. He rejected Galatasaray and was also said to have closed the door on Saudi Arabia.
The Galatasaray rejection is again confirmed by ESPN. His position on Saudi Arabia, though, has changed. We covered previous reports on that from Brazil which are further detailed by this new report.
Al Hilal’s financial proposal and the quality of life on offer have worked in their favour. Martinelli’s family and representatives are studying the possibilities and aren’t against the move.
There’s said to be considerable optimism on the player’s side that a transfer can be completed. No agreement has been reached between Arsenal and Al Hilal yet, and Martinelli hasn’t agreed personal terms either.
ESPN puts Arsenal’s asking price at €40-45m (£35-39m). That’s notably lower than the €69m (£60m) figure which has been reported elsewhere in recent days.
They also state his Arsenal contract expires in June 2027, giving the Gunners another obvious reason to get a deal done now.
His lack of involvement already made it obvious Arteta was moving on without him. If ESPN’s information is correct, Martinelli hasn’t particularly enjoyed the way Arsenal have gone about making that clear.
