Agent explains why Gabriel Magalhaes snubbed other offers to join Arsenal

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If reports are to believed, Arsenal will complete the signing of Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes soon. The Brazilian defender is expected to sign a five-year deal with the Gunners after Mikel Arteta’s side agreed a £25 million fee with the Ligue 1 outfit (Goal).

Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for the highly-rated defender back in January. The Gunners failed to sign him then and it looked like they missed their opportunity.

Everton were rumoured to be the favourites to sign Gabriel before football came to a standstill. The Independent revealed back in March that the defender had even completed a medical ahead of a proposed move to the Toffees, but that deal never materialised.

Napoli and Manchester United were also heavily linked with a move for the South American, and the former looked favourites to get him at one point after they signed his teammate Victor Osimhen last month (ESPN).

However, Arsenal seem to have won the race for the Brazilian and Gabriel’s agent, Guilherme Miranda, confirmed to journalist Freddie Paxton that his client rejected more lucrative offers from other clubs in favour of a move to the Emirates.

He told the Evening Standard: “Arsenal was nowhere near the best proposal [money-wise]. Gabriel chose them over more lucrative offers because Edu convinced us of the project. It’s 100 per cent because of Edu Gaspar and Arteta.”

Raul Sanllehi’s departure hasn’t hurt Arsenal’s transfer plans

Arsenal fans were worried about their transfer plans when the club announced out of nowhere that Raul Sanllehi had left the club.

The Spaniard was the head of all transfer activities and some felt that the deals he had lined up could potentially collapse after he was allowed to leave earlier this month.

However, Edu seems to have stepped in well, and his connections with Brazilian players, thanks to his time with the national team, has clearly helped Arsenal get this particular deal over the line ahead of the new season.