Arsenal are reportedly set to sign Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes from LOSC Lille in a deal worth £27 million.
As reported by The Guardian, Arsenal are closing in on their second major signing of the summer transfer window, with Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes on the verge of completing a switch to the Emirates.
The 23-year-old has been with Lille since 2017, having joined from Brazilian club Avai FC. After loan spells away at Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb II, he has become a regular in the first-team for the French club and enjoyed an impressive 2019/20 campaign.
Having featured in 24 of Lille’s 28 Ligue 1 matches last season, Gabriel helped them to a fourth place finish and the joint third-best defensive record in the competition. Naturally, his performances led to a lot of interest from across Europe, with the likes of Napoli, Everton and Arsenal all monitoring the centre-back.
However, the Gunners seem to have seen off their rivals to seal the signing of the 22-year-old, with the report claiming that they have struck an agreement with Lille over a £27 million deal. The Brazilian is said to have completed his medical earlier this week and agreed a five-year contract with the north London outfit.
This comes after arch rivals Manchester United made a late attempt to try and hijack Arsenal’s move for the Brazilian on Thursday. The report claims that Gabriel will fly to London on Monday to finalise the transfer and official announcement should be imminent in the coming week.
Gabriel will become the second major transfer for Arsenal this summer, with the Gunners already clinching the signing of the defender’s compatriot, Willian, on a free transfer from Chelsea.
After having been plagued by defensive woes for years, the Gunners look to be forming a solid defensive unit heading into the next season. Mikel Arteta’s arrival had already seen them make significant improvements towards the end of the previous season.
And with William Saliba returning from his loan stint at Saint-Etienne, coupled with Gabriel’s imminent arrival, things are looking up for the Londoners. This would also mean that Arteta will now have to axe some of the centre-backs already at his disposal, with the likes of Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi likely to be shown the exit doors.
