Gabriel Martinelli Breaks His Silence After Leaving Arsenal for Al-Hilal

Gabriel Martinelli has opened up about his emotional departure from Arsenal, admitting that he would have stayed at the Premier League club if the decision had been entirely his.

For Gabriel Martinelli, leaving Arsenal was never going to be just another transfer.

The Brazilian forward arrived in North London as a young player with a dream. Years later, he leaves as a Premier League champion, a key part of Arsenal’s journey and the club’s record sale.

Now, after completing his move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, Martinelli has finally spoken about the decision — and his comments offer an emotional glimpse into what was happening behind the scenes.

“It’s emotional,” Martinelli said.

That emotion is understandable. Arsenal was more than simply the club where Martinelli developed his football career. It was the place where he arrived as a boy and grew into a Premier League player.

His farewell message carried a particularly revealing line.

“If the decision was completely mine, I would have stayed, but sometimes football makes decisions for you.”

For Arsenal supporters, those words may be the part of Martinelli’s departure that lingers longest.

Transfers are often presented as straightforward business. A player moves, a club receives a fee, and both sides move forward. But Martinelli’s comments suggest there was considerably more emotion behind this particular separation.

He leaves Arsenal having achieved one of the biggest ambitions available to any Premier League player: winning the league title.

And he does so while becoming the club’s record sale, adding another significant chapter to his Arsenal story.

Martinelli also made clear that his departure was not defined by disappointment.

Instead, his message was filled with gratitude.

The Brazilian thanked Arsenal’s supporters, his teammates and everyone at the club who had been part of his journey. He made it clear that, despite moving on, Arsenal would continue to hold a special place in his heart.

“Arsenal will always be a part of my heart,” he said.

That sentiment could resonate deeply with fans who watched Martinelli’s transformation from an exciting young prospect into a Premier League champion.

His move to Al-Hilal now represents a completely different chapter.

Saudi Arabia has become an increasingly prominent destination for established international players, offering a new challenge and a different football environment. For Martinelli, the move also comes at a pivotal point in his career.

Yet his final words about Arsenal make one thing clear: this was not simply about leaving one club for another.

It was about closing the door on a chapter that began with a dream.

Martinelli arrived at Arsenal hoping to make his mark. He leaves with a Premier League medal, a record transfer and memories that will remain tied to the club for years to come.

There is also an unmistakable sense of unfinished emotion in his farewell.

He wanted to stay. Football had other plans.

And perhaps that is what makes Martinelli’s departure so compelling.

Football careers rarely follow a perfect script. Players dream, clubs make decisions, opportunities appear and circumstances change. Sometimes, even when a player wants to remain, the next chapter is already waiting.

For Gabriel Martinelli, that chapter is now Al-Hilal.

But before beginning that new journey, he left Arsenal with a message that was less about the transfer itself and more about everything the club meant to him.

A boy arrived with a dream.

A champion walked away.

And Arsenal, in Martinelli’s own words, will always have a piece of his heart. ❤️