Martinelli shares farewell as Arsenal secure sell-on clause
Gabriel Martinelli officially completed his transfer to Al Hilal on Thursday, for a club-record fee of €70m (£60m). The Arsenal winger has signed a four-year deal with his new club, with James Benge reporting for CBS Sports that he’ll earn €20m a year plus bonuses.
The fee is the third-highest of all time for a Saudi club, and Benge adds that Arsenal also successfully negotiated a sell-on clause into the deal. So there could be more to come later, particularly if Martinelli’s Al Hilal spell goes well.
Another key detail from the report is that Mikel Arteta’s talks with Martinelli over his future are understood to have occurred prior to Ian Wright’s criticism of Arsenal’s treatment of the player.
At the time, Wright suggested Arsenal hadn’t spoken to Martinelli. But it seems by that point, they had.
Reacting to the transfer, Martinelli shared an emotional farewell with everyone in and around Arsenal Football Club.
“The day has come, and honestly, I still don’t feel ready to write a goodbye, but I’ll try,” Martinelli wrote on Instagram. “When I arrived here, seven years ago, I was just a boy who had only recently turned 18. In my heart, I thought I would stay forever.
“But life is constantly changing, and sometimes our paths take us in directions different from the ones we had planned.
“Will we ever become champions? Will I adapt to a new club, a new country, a new culture? Will I ever score in the Champions League? Will I score important goals? Will I have the opportunity to play in the Olympics? World Cup? And imagine, scoring at a World Cup?
“Those were all the thoughts going through 18 year old Gabriel’s mind. And yes, we did it.
“We became FA Cup champions, Community Shield and finally achieved the one we had waited so long for, becoming Premier League champions. With Brasil, I won an Olympic gold medal, played in two World Cups, and scored a very special goal. And here, with Arsenal, I reached 98 goal contributions.”
“I’ve spent seven years at this club,” Martinelli continued. “I feel like an adopted Hale End boy, you could say. I found a family that took care of me and watched me grow throughout all these years.
“I can only thank the staff and my teammates. Thank you to the chefs, kit staff, doctors, doormen, security staff, media team, cleaning staff, physios, and every single teammate who has been part of my story from 2019 until today. Thank you to everyone who helped me grow during this journey.
“And to the fans, thank you for everything. Since my first day, you made me feel at home. Every time I stepped on the pitch, despite everything, I tried to give everything I had for this shirt.”
“To Arsenal, thank you for believing in me and giving me the chance to show myself to the world,” Martinelli concluded.
“Most of all, I want to thank my family and my wife, who have been by my side throughout this entire journey, giving me all the emotional support I needed to overcome the challenges that only we truly know.
“It has been a long journey, too much history and now it has come to an end. I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, so hard to put 7 years into words.
“From 35 to 11. Once a Gunner, Always a Gunner. Goodbye, and thank you again.”
