Arsenal have come to an agreement to sign Gabriel Magalhaes, 22, from Lille, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian journalist claims the deal is done and Arsenal will pay a total of €30 million for the defender.
Arsenal Agree Deal to Sign Gabriel Magalhaes
Arsenal Finally Secure Gabriel Signature
They have been in pursuit of Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes for a few weeks and Arsenal appear to have finally got their man.
The Brazilian is set to sign a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium.
He will fly to London on Monday for a medical with the club.
Arsenal will pay €30 million for the in-demand defender, a fee that includes add-ons.
They have fought off reported interest from the likes of Everton, Manchester United & Napoli.
An official statement from the club is expected in the next week.
Improvement for Dismal Defence
Gabriel could make a huge impact at the Emirates in the long-term. He arrives at just 22-years-old and will be looking to contribute to improving Arsenal’s dismal defensive efforts.
The Gunners finished eighth in the 2019/20 Premier League table, conceding 48 goals across the season, only Burnley and Chelsea of the top ten conceded more.
There is a need for improvement at the back and Gabriel will not be the only arrival.
William Saliba, of Saint-Etienne, will also arrive in North-London, having signed for the club last summer. He went straight back to the Ligue 1 side on a season-long loan.
The two arrivals from the French top-flight will provide Mikel Arteta’s side with a fresh look to the backline, whether he uses them as a pair or not.
They are young defenders with heaps of potential and are certain to help Arteta change the club’s fortunes, providing they settle in quickly.
His Career So Far
Gabriel made his Ligue 1 debut in January 2018, in a 1-0 loss to Toulouse, when on loan at Troyes AC. That was his first and only league appearance for the club. Since that 2017/18 season, Gabriel has managed to establish himself in Lille’s defence, particularly toward the end of the 2018/19 campaign. The French side kept nine clean sheets in his 14 league appearances in that campaign.
In 2019/20, he became a serious player, featuring in 24 of their 28 league games, before the season was brought to an end. He contributed to clean sheets in exactly half of his appearances and was able to attract interest from several European giants.
Gabriel also comes with Champions League experience, not something Arsenal will be able to enhance in 2020/21, but it’s a competition they will obviously be looking to return to.
He featured against the likes of Ajax, Chelsea, and Valencia in the group stages.
Sokratis Departure?
It has been reported that if Napoli fail in their efforts to sign the Brazilian defender, they may turn to Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos. Napoli could be looking for another defender to replace Kalidou Koulibaly, who could join Manchester City.
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