Gabriel Martinelli set to miss Saudi Clasico before Al-Hilal move is confirmed

Gabriel Martinelli will not be available for Al-Hilal’s Saudi Clasico against Al-Ahli, despite the Arsenal winger being on the verge of completing his move to the Saudi club.

Al-Ahli will visit Al-Hilal in a rearranged match from the third round of the Saudi Pro League, but Martinelli is not expected to feature because there is insufficient time to register him before the game.

The Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiyah reported that the Brazilian has been ruled out of Al-Hilal’s plans for the fixture because of the limited time remaining to complete his registration. Al-Hilal are expected to confirm the signing officially within hours.

The club’s management has reached an agreement with Arsenal and Martinelli on all the terms of the transfer, with the player set to represent Al-Hilal during the current summer transfer window.

Martinelli is expected to undergo a medical examination in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Arrangements are being made for his journey to the country in the coming hours, ahead of the formal announcement.

The move was also reported by transfer specialist journalist Matteo Moretto, who said Martinelli was only a few steps away from joining Al-Hilal. Moretto said Al-Hilal had agreed a deal with Arsenal for the winger during the summer transfer window.

If the transfer is completed, Martinelli will sign a contract running until the summer of 2030. The Brazil international is set to earn about 20m euros per year.

Martinelli joined Arsenal in January 2019 from Brazilian club Ituano. He gradually established himself in the first team and went on to become one of the club’s leading attacking options over the following years.

His arrival at Al-Hilal is therefore expected to be confirmed shortly, although the timing means he will have to wait before making his debut. The immediate focus remains on the rearranged Saudi Pro League meeting with Al-Ahli, in which he will not be eligible to play.

The Saudi Clasico will take place without the anticipated new signing, with the registration process preventing Al-Hilal from including him in the squad. The formal completion of the transfer is expected later, once the medical and remaining administrative procedures have been dealt with.