Gabriel Martinelli's Arsenal Exit: A Ruthless Decision by Arteta

Gabriel Martinelli’s Arsenal story is almost over. Not with a testimonial or a farewell tour, but with a blunt instruction from Mikel Arteta: find a new club.

The Brazilian winger, the longest-serving player in the current squad, is closing in on a move to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, a transfer that would abruptly end a spell in north London that began back in 2019 and grew into nearly 300 appearances in red and white.

Arteta’s ruthless call

For weeks, the writing has been scrawled across the walls of London Colney. Martinelli has been frozen out of recent matchday squads, left watching as Arsenal’s title-winning machine rolls on without him. This is not a gentle phasing out of a club stalwart; it is a clean break.

Arteta, fresh from delivering Arsenal’s first Premier League crown since 2004, is pushing hard to upgrade and refresh his champions. The decision to push Martinelli towards the exit is one of the clearest signs yet of how ruthless that rebuild will be.

According to ESPN, that ruthlessness has jarred inside the dressing room. The report describes “some discomfort” among the squad, with several players said to be strongly sympathetic towards Martinelli and unhappy with how the situation has unfolded.

Community Shield flashpoint

Tension spiked around the Community Shield. Arsenal beat Manchester City at Wembley, but Martinelli was nowhere near the pitch – or the medal ceremony.

Arteta left him out of the squad entirely, meaning the Brazilian did not receive a winners’ medal. Globo Esporte and ESPN both outline how that omission cut deep: Martinelli was described as “greatly disappointed”, and senior team-mates were also left angered by the decision.

From that moment, the emotional distance between player and club seemed to widen quickly.

A changing left flank

The summer transfer business only underlined what was coming. Arsenal paid around £34 million for Christos Tzolis, a clear investment in a new attacking option. On top of that, the club made an ambitious – and ultimately unsuccessful – attempt to lure Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid.

Those moves painted a stark picture. Arteta was not just tweaking the left flank; he was prepared to rip it up and start again.

Martinelli’s influence had already dipped slightly last season, even as Arsenal surged to the Champions League final and stormed to the league title. He still played a meaningful part in that run, but the hierarchy clearly decided the future of the position lay elsewhere.

Saudi switch beckons

Any lingering hope of a late U-turn faded when Martinelli was left out of the squad for the Premier League opener against Coventry City. At that point, his departure stopped being a possibility and became an expectation.

Galatasaray tested the waters, but their approach failed to move the player. Globo Esporte reports that, after some initial hesitation, Martinelli has now given the green light to a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal.

The last major hurdle is the fee. Arsenal are understood to be pushing for a package in the region of £60 million for a player who has given them five years of service and close to 300 games. ESPN, though, suggests the final agreement is more likely to land nearer £40 million.

One way or another, the end is coming. A title-winning squad is being reshaped, a popular figure is being ushered out, and a manager is staking even more of his authority on a bold, unforgiving vision of what Arsenal must become next.