Martinelli agent reveals offers rejected before £60m Arsenal exit

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Gabriel Martinelli turned down interest from clubs in the Premier League, Italy and Germany before completing his £60million move to Al-Hilal this summer, according to his agent.

The Brazilian left north London after seven years at the club, having arrived as an 18-year-old and departed as Arsenal's biggest-ever sale. His final season ended with a Premier League title, the club's first in 22 years, to which he contributed 11 goals across all competitions.

Speaking to Brazilian outlet Itatiaia Esporte, representative Marcos Casseb explained that the winger had options across Europe but chose a complete change of environment instead.

'Offers from Italy, Germany and the Premier League'

"Did he get offers? He did yeah," Casseb said. "We had offers from Italian clubs, we had offers from German clubs and we had offers from other Premier League clubs but it was a moment when I think he needed and he also wanted to clear his head a bit, to change scenery."

The agent framed the exit as a decision that suited both parties. "His time at Arsenal has come to an end. It was seven years; he arrived there at 18 years old," he said. "Arsenal underwent a massive restructuring and, last year, they won the Premier League. We felt it was time for him to move on, and the club had also seen it that way. It was a very good departure for him and for Arsenal."

Casseb also pointed to the financial side of the deal: "Besides everything else, he also became Arsenal's biggest-ever sale and he still helped Arsenal make a lot of money from his departure."

Al-Hilal's recruitment shift

On the appeal of the Saudi Pro League champions, Casseb described the move as joining "the biggest club in Asia to be part of a very ambitious project", highlighting the profile of the players Al-Hilal have recruited alongside Martinelli.

"You can see it in the players that they have brought in, three players who were at the World Cup, each with their respective national teams and three players that are under 27," he said. "That's a trend in Arab football right now, they're changing the way they want to sign players. They've been trying to do that — lower the average age of the league."

Martinelli has already scored a hat-trick for his new club against Al-Taawoun since the switch. He was, however, left out of Brazil's latest squad for friendlies against Australia (twice) and India.

Casseb remains confident that international recognition will follow. "He has every chance of returning to the Brazilian national team; he needs to play well there," he said, noting that two Saudi-based players featured at the World Cup. "Today we have great players in every league, and all the national teams see that."

The 25-year-old has four years remaining on his contract in Saudi Arabia, and his agent says a return to Corinthians — the club he left to join Arsenal — remains a long-term ambition.

For Arsenal, the fee banked for Martinelli remains the largest in the club's history for an outgoing player, and the restructuring Casseb referenced continues to shape the squad Mikel Arteta takes into the new campaign.