Martinelli Leads the Way as Al Hilal Build a €190 Million Premier League Trio, Making Ronaldo's Title Defense More Difficult

Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal officially announced that Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has joined the club, with the two sides signing a four-year contract. According to The Athletic reporter David Ornstein, Martinelli's transfer fee is €70 million, a figure that sets a new record for the highest transfer fee received by Arsenal for a player sale.

Martinelli's arrival marks the completion of Al Hilal's Premier League attacking trio for this summer. Before this, Al Hilal had already signed two other attacking players from the Premier League: Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville from West Ham United for €64.5 million and England striker Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa for €58.4 million. The total spending on the three signings reached €192.9 million, placing the club among the leading spenders in global football transfers this summer.

The three players each have different strengths and can form a complete attacking line. The 25-year-old Martinelli is a Brazil international who mainly plays as a left winger, known for his speed and ability to beat defenders, and he was a key rotation player for Arsenal last season. The 24-year-old Summerville is a Dutch winger who can operate on both flanks, with strong dribbling and passing ability, after moving from West Ham United. The 30-year-old Watkins is an England international striker who made 55 appearances in all competitions for Villa last season, scoring 21 goals and providing 5 assists, making him a proven goalscorer. All three players come from the Premier League and are familiar with the pace and physicality of top-level football, so their adaptation should not be a major issue.

The reason Al Hilal have invested so heavily this summer is simple: last season's league title was won by Al Nassr. In the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season, Al Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, edged Al Hilal by two points to win the championship. For a traditional powerhouse like Al Hilal, being repeatedly held back by a city rival is unacceptable. Therefore, during this summer's transfer window, the club's management decided to upgrade the attack with the clear goal of winning the league title in the new season.

Judging from the start of the new season, Al Hilal's form has indeed been impressive. In the first four league rounds, Al Hilal recorded four consecutive victories and kept pace with Al Nassr. However, Martinelli has not appeared in any of these four matches, while Summerville and Watkins are still in the process of adapting. With Martinelli's official arrival, Al Hilal's attacking setup will reach its strongest form of the season.

For Al Nassr and Ronaldo, Al Hilal's moves have undoubtedly created significant pressure. Ronaldo is already 41 years old. Although he led the team to the title last season, his physical condition and playing time have gradually declined. Al Nassr's recruitment efforts this summer have been far less aggressive than Al Hilal's, and the gap in squad depth is growing. If Al Hilal's trio can quickly develop chemistry, Al Nassr's path to defending the title will be very difficult.

However, based on their squad strength on paper, Al Hilal's attacking line does have the ability to challenge for the championship. Martinelli's wing breakthroughs, Summerville's intelligent movement, and Watkins' finishing ability provide three different attacking profiles that could complement each other. Combined with Al Hilal's existing midfield and defense, the team's overall strength is among the best in the Saudi Pro League.

For Martinelli personally, choosing to move to the Saudi Pro League at the age of 25 was a decision requiring courage. This is the prime stage of a player's career, and many would choose to remain in Europe's top leagues to continue proving themselves. However, the Saudi Pro League has invested heavily in recent years, its competitive level has continued to improve, and attractive contract terms have made it increasingly appealing to players. Martinelli has reportedly received an annual after-tax salary of more than €20 million, a figure that would have been unimaginable at Arsenal.

Martinelli's arrival is only the beginning. As investment in the Saudi Pro League continues to increase, more European stars are expected to come and play there in the future. For fans, being able to watch so many high-level players compete in the same league is undoubtedly a positive development. For Ronaldo and Al Nassr, Al Hilal's €190 million trio is now in place, and the title defense battle has entered an intense phase from this point onward.