Gabriel Martinelli ‘Offered’ Eye-Watering Salary to Leave Arsenal
If Mikel Arteta’s cold shoulder wasn’t enough of an incentive, Gabriel Martinelli has been reportedly offered an annual salary in excess of $16.4 million (£12 million) to leave Arsenal and join Al Hilal.
Martinelli has been ushered toward the Emirates exit door by the Gunners with a few not-so-subtle hints from Arteta, who has not picked the Brazilian in a competitive fixture this season despite his continued involvement in first-team training. The message has been clear, but Martinelli still reportedly rebuffed advances from Galatasaray before his precarious position was really rammed home in recent days.
Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal have since waded into negotiations, and it appears as though Martinelli would now be open to an exit. The financial incentive proposal on offer may have something to do with the change of heart. The Times report that a swollen package worth more than $16.4 million has given Martinelli cause for consideration.
While it’s not quite the sums that are commanded by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, these are figures capable of providing Martinelli with a type of generational wealth not even Arsenal’s current top earners can aspire to, given the favorable tax stipulations of Saudi Arabia.
How Arsenal’s Top Earners Compare to Martinelli’s Proposed Deal
Kai Havertz (left) and Bukayo Saka get the goals and the big bucks for Arsenal. / John Walton/PA Images/Getty Images
On a purely surface-level glance, Martinelli’s proposed Saudi salary would rank him alongside the likes of club captain Martin Ødegaard and star player Declan Rice. It’s a pay rise, but nothing life changing. However, one of the major benefits of moving to the Middle East is the distinct lack of income tax.
So, Martinelli would be able to theoretically take home all $16.4 million of his annual pay packet. Arsenal’s contingent, by contrast, give up around 47% of their salary to HMRC. Taking this into account, Martinelli is set to earn almost double what Ødegaard and Rice can command, while also outstripping every other player at the club.
Bukayo Saka became Arsenal’s highest paid player when he put pen to paper on a new deal earlier this year. Yet, even Saka isn’t thought to come close to the earning potential which Martinelli stands to demand in the Kingdom.
| Player | Reported Take-Home Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Gabriel Martinelli | $16.4 million |
| Bukayo Saka | $11.3 million |
| Bruno Guimarães | $11.3 million |
| Kai Havertz | $10.5 million |
| William Saliba | $9.4 million |
| Martin Ødegaard | $9 million |
| Declan Rice | $9 million |
Martinelli in Line for Huge Pay Rise
Gabriel Martinelli is considered expendable. / Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Martinelli signed his current Arsenal contract in February 2023, midway through the most prolific season of his senior career thus far. By the end of that year, the mercurial forward had racked up 15 Premier League goals—as many as he would score across the subsequent three seasons.
The Brazilian was still only 21 at the time of his four-year deal and is thought to have doubled his wages to $6.8 million per year once taxes are taken into account, per The Times. A leap to $16.4 million represents a whole new bracket of income.
In Martinelli’s preferred scenario of seeing out his Arsenal contract, he would have banked around $13.6 million net until its expiration in 2028. With talk of a four-year agreement on the table at Al Hilal, the winger could earn $65.6 million before even turning 30.
