Juventus have reportedly approached Arsenal to understand the availability of Gabriel Magalhaes, as they eye a replacement for Matthijs de Ligt.
According to Alfredo Pedulla, Juventus have approached Arsenal over Gabriel Magalhaes, with the Serie A giants interested in the Brazilian defender. The 24-year-old is considered a viable replacement for Matthijs de Ligt, with the report claiming the Gunners could demand €40 million for the transfer.
There are several transfer tussles between big European clubs happening currently, and Juventus are currently embroiled in one over star defender Matthijs de Ligt, who could join Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions are expected to pay up around €80 million for the Dutchman, with the deal reaching up to €90 million with bonuses.
After substantial interest in de Ligt, Chelsea bowed out of the race to sign the Dutch defender while setting their sights on Nathan Ake. Juventus are set to bring in plenty of funds through the sale of the Dutchman and want to invest in a replacement immediately.
Many players have been linked with the Serie A giants as de Ligt’s replacement in the last few days, including Benoit Badiashile, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Nikola Milenkovic. However, one name that refuses to go away is that of Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes, who is reportedly available for €40 million.
Mikel Arteta rates Gabriel highly and may not be willing to sanction a sale. The Brazilian centre-back has been central to the Arsenal manager’s plans and formed a solid partnership with Ben White last term. Arsenal have William Saliba coming in after a successful loan spell with Marseille, and the manager has his backline set ahead of next season.
There is no reason for Arsenal to sell Gabriel this summer. Moreover, the Brazilian defender has a contract until 2025, and his performances will certainly tempt the Gunners to demand significantly more than the €40 million quoted in the report.
Arsenal may have hinted at adding another centre-back in the wake of their chase of Lisandro Martinez. But with the Argentine international seemingly close to signing for Manchester United, Arteta is not expected to shake up his backline at this stage, particularly not by letting Gabriel leave.
Juventus have been seriously interested in Gabriel for some months now, and there is a feeling that if they come to Arsenal with a €40 million bid, the north Londoners might reject the proposal. The Serie A giants might look to focus on other targets, although the Italian media is expected to continue with their stories linking the Brazilian with the Bianconeri.
