Martinelli transfers to Saudi giants Al-Hilal for £60 million.

Saudi professional football giants Al-Hilal have officially announced the signing of 25-year-old Brazilian international winger Gabriel Martinelli from Premier League side Arsenal. The two sides have signed a four-year contract.

According to sources, Al-Hilal paid a fixed transfer fee of £60 million to acquire Martinelli, with the contract also including a profit-sharing clause for future Arsenal transfers.

This deal not only broke Arsenal's club record of £35 million for Chamberlain's transfer to Liverpool in 2017, becoming the highest-paid single transfer in the club's history, but also further demonstrated the Saudi league's appeal to top European stars in their prime.

Martinelli, who joined Arsenal at the age of 18, played for the club in North London for seven years, making 278 appearances and scoring 62 goals. Last season, he played 53 games in all competitions, playing a key role in helping Arsenal win the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years and reach the Champions League final.

However, with the arrival of Greek winger Christos Torres, Martinelli failed to make the matchday squad in the first two rounds of the new season, and his decline in the pecking order ultimately led to this transfer.

Al-Hilal currently leads the Saudi league standings with an impressive record of four wins out of four. Martinelli quickly joined the team for training on Thursday and is expected to make his debut for his new club in Friday's crucial match against Al-Hilal.

Image source: Internet/Riyadh Crescent official website