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Gabriel Martinelli has become one of the more sought-after names in the late summer transfer window, with Al Hilal identifying the Arsenal forward as a primary target for their left-wing position. The Saudi Pro League club is reportedly in pursuit of a deal worth around £60 million, a figure that would represent a remarkable return on Arsenal’s original £6 million investment when they signed him from Ituano back in 2019.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano first reported Al Hilal’s interest, placing Martinelli on a shortlist of three candidates for the role. Chelsea’s Pedro Neto is also on that list, along with a third unnamed player, suggesting the Saudi club is keeping its options open rather than committing to one path.
The numbers and the nuance
Martinelli’s contract runs until June 30, 2027, with an option for an additional year, which keeps Arsenal firmly in the driver’s seat. The player himself is understood to prefer staying in European football over making the move to Riyadh.
The £60 million figure being attached to this pursuit is also worth interrogating. Transfermarkt currently values Martinelli at €45 million, which aligns almost exactly with the bid Galatasaray submitted in mid-August. The Turkish club’s formal offer of €45 million, roughly £38 million at current exchange rates, gives a cleaner picture of where the actual market sits for his signature right now.
Al Hilal’s reported interest, at a significantly higher valuation, has not yet been substantiated by formal negotiations or a concrete bid. The distinction between a club identifying a target and actively tabling an offer is meaningful, and as of late August 2026, the former is all that has been confirmed.
Arsenal’s position and Martinelli’s trajectory
Arsenal signed Martinelli from Brazilian club Ituano in July 2019 for £6 million.
Galatasaray’s formal offer at €45 million confirms that the transfer market around Martinelli is active, even if the headline destination generating the most column inches is 4,000 miles to the east.
If Al Hilal were to formalize an offer approaching £60 million, that figure would sit meaningfully above Martinelli’s current market valuation of €45 million, and Arsenal would have a legitimate decision to make about reinvesting those funds into a replacement.
What to watch as the window moves
Pedro Neto’s inclusion on the same shortlist is instructive. Chelsea paid a significant fee for the Portuguese winger relatively recently, which would make any exit complicated from a financial fair play optics standpoint, even if the club were open to selling. That dynamic could make Martinelli the more accessible option if Al Hilal decides to convert interest into a formal approach.
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