Gabriel Martinelli’s agent has revealed that the Brazilian rejected opportunities to remain in the Premier League and move elsewhere in Europe before leaving Arsenal for Al-Hilal.
Martinelli ended his seven-year association with the Gunners during the summer after completing a £60 million move to the Saudi Pro League.
The 25-year-old arrived in north London from Ituano as a teenager in 2019 and developed into a senior Brazil international under Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
He eventually departed after helping Arsenal end their 22-year wait for the Premier League title during the 2025-26 campaign, contributing 11 goals across all competitions.
Speaking to Itatiaia Esporte, agent Marcos Casseb explained that both Arsenal and Martinelli believed the summer represented the right moment for a change.
“His time at Arsenal has come to an end,” Casseb said. “We felt it was time for him to move on, and the club had also seen it that way.”
The representative also highlighted the financial significance of the deal, with Martinelli’s £60m transfer making him the biggest sale in Arsenal’s history.
Casseb revealed there had been alternative opportunities for the winger in England, Italy and Germany, but Martinelli instead wanted a more significant change after spending most of his senior career at Arsenal.
“We had offers from Italian clubs, we had offers from German clubs and we had offers from other Premier League clubs,” he added. “It was a moment when I think he needed and he also wanted to clear his head a bit, to change scenery.”
Martinelli ultimately chose Al-Hilal, signing a four-year contract which could keep him in Saudi Arabia until he is 29.
His decision also reflects the Saudi Pro League’s increasing focus on recruiting established players during their prime years rather than exclusively targeting ageing stars.
Martinelli has made an impressive start to his new chapter, including scoring a hat-trick against Al-Taawoun as he quickly settled into his new surroundings.
His departure also brought an end to a significant period of development at Arsenal, having originally joined for around £6m following his breakthrough in Brazil.
Martinelli made more than 200 appearances for the Gunners and was part of the FA Cup-winning squad during his first season before eventually becoming a Premier League champion.
The forward was not selected for Brazil’s latest international squad, although Casseb remains confident that playing in Saudi Arabia will not prevent him from returning to the national team.
A return to Brazil could eventually follow, with his agent revealing Martinelli dreams of representing boyhood club Corinthians later in his career.
For now, however, Casseb believes leaving Arsenal offered Martinelli the fresh start he needed after seven years in north London.