Arsenal seemed to be losing out in the race to sign Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes but they could be right back in the mix now.
The Guardian reported a few weeks ago that Everton were very close to signing Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes in the summer for a fee believed to be in the region of £30 million.
The Brazilian has had a fine campaign in France with Lille and was on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs. Gabriel would have been a fine acquisition for the Toffees but there might just be one last twist in the story.
Sport claimed today that Everton have agreed a deal with Barcelona to sign Jean Clair Todibo in the summer transfer window. Signing the Frenchman would fill Everton’s need for a new defender which could end their interest in Gabriel.
That would be incredible news for Arsenal who were one of the other Premier League teams to have been interested in the Brazilian defender. (Le10 Sport)
The biggest priority for Mikel Arteta this summer has to be a new central defender and it is no secret that the Gunners have looked at Gabriel for a while now.
Still only 22, the Lille man has shown that he has the quality to step up against the best players in France. The Premier League is certainly a tougher place to be but his style and stature does seem to suit the English game.
Arsenal will have William Saliba coming in from France in the summer. Gabriel joining the Frenchman to the Emirates will give Arsenal enough quality at the back to have a good campaign in Mikel Arteta’s first full season in charge.
With Everton now possibly out of the picture, the Gunners have a huge opportunity to secure a deal for Gabriel and they should do so before other clubs come in for him.
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