Arsenal contacted by UCL club over 24-y/o to replace £95m Chelsea target

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Juventus have reportedly made contact with Arsenal over the potential signing of Gabriel Magalhaes, with the Serie A side eyeing the Brazilian as a replacement for rumoured Chelsea target Matthijs de Ligt.

According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, the Bianconeri have asked Arsenal about the possibility of signing Gabriel, who last season was one of the Gunners’ best players as the 24-year-old formed a solid defensive partnership with Ben White.

As per the report, Arsenal have set a €40m (£34m) asking price on Gabriel, yet Juventus believe they can lower this transfer fee down should they decide to make a concrete offer for the former LOSC Lille star, with the Italian giants currently targeting other options.

Juventus are set for a big summer with star defender De Ligt likely to move on from Turin in the coming weeks. A centre-back with an incredible £95m valuation, the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been heavily linked with the Dutch international in recent weeks.

Indeed, De Ligt is arguably the best young centre-back in football, and replacing the former Ajax star will be a huge task for Juventus if the 22-year-old does leave this summer, and Gabriel could be a brilliant signing, though Arsenal will more than likely be unwilling to sell.

Gabriel was irreplaceable in the Gunners XI last season, and even with the return of William Saliba this summer, it is widely expected by fans that the Brazilian will be the one to partner the French international in the upcoming campaign, leaving White on the bench.

Arsenal should and will block any Juventus attempt to sign Gabriel

Arsenal have often been comical when it comes to how little they sell their star players for, yet even in the case of Gabriel, it seems hard that the Gunners will allow their best centre-back to leave for Juventus this summer, especially for as little as £34m.

With the north London side coming so close to top-four last season and Mikel Arteta making all the right moves this summer to address the problems in the squad, exciting times are afoot for Arsenal, and Gabriel will play a key role in this movement next year.