Chelsea have reportedly stolen a march on Arsenal and Everton by agreeing a £30 million deal for Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
According to Eurosport journalist Manu Lonjon, Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Lille star Gabriel Magalhaes that is said to be worth around £30 million. The Blues have reportedly beaten the likes of Everton and Arsenal, who were both chasing the Lille defender.
Lonjon termed the move to be ‘almost complete’ in what appears to be a deal worth £30 million, according to The Sun. The defender will be a much welcome addition to Chelsea’s defensive options, with Frank Lampard’s side having struggled to contain opposition under the club legend.
22-year-old Magalhaes is a centre-back by trade and broke into Lille’s first-team setup in the 2018-19 season. The current season, though, has been one of highs for the Brazilian, with the defender helping his club keep 12 clean sheets in the 24 Ligue 1 appearances so far this term.
Additionally, the 22-year-old has shown his versatile side as well, having played a game as a defensive midfielder. Naturally, the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton would be interested in the Lille star.
Gabriel’s transfer from Lille to Chelsea is almost done.
{@ManuLonjon} pic.twitter.com/KoFpTwYg0C
— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) March 29, 2020
Arsenal have been scouring for ideal centre-backs to add to their squad as Mikel Arteta looks to rebuild the squad for the new season. The Gunners will have William Saliba returning to the first-team setup, but Arteta is looking for another quality centre-back to make sure any potential crisis like the current season is averted.
The players at Everton have responded well to the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti. Currently, Ancelotti has only Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina as options for the first-team setup. The manager would love to add some quality to his squad in what will be his first ‘real’ transfer window after having chosen against delving into the market during the January window.
Chelsea have had problems of their own at the back. Antonio Rudiger battled fitness issues while Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma were far from convincing in defence. Fikayo Tomori was the only spark in central defence for Frank Lampard and the manager wants to add a quality defender to his youthful and talented side.
If the report is to be believed, Gabriel will be heading to Stamford Bridge, where he will likely be joining up with fellow compatriot Willian, who is reported to be heading closer to a Chelsea exit. £30 million for a 22-year-old ball-playing defender who fits well into Lampard’s philosophy is a bargain in the current market.
Arsenal and Everton would be gutted at having missed out on Gabriel.
