Gabriel Magalhaes has been one of the most talked-about central defenders in Europe this season and so far Arsenal FC has vested a heavy interest in him – as per reports.
Mikel Arteta is looking to bring in a new centre-back for the upcoming season after dealing with mediocrity in the likes of Mustafi and Sokratis and it seems like the manager wanted to make a move for the Lille defender in the summer.
Moreover, with the Lille president hinting that Gabriel Magalhaes was expected to move out of the club soon, it seems obvious the defender was bound for the Premier League.
“It’s true that he would like to go and try something else out. We haven’t taken that decision yet, but he’s received a number of offers,” he told Sky Sports, as reported.
“I feel he’s closer to one club than others, but nothing’s done yet so we’ll see.
“I wouldn’t want to say any more as I respect the player too much. The mechanism I have in place, and we saw that work so well with Nico [Nicolas Pepe], is that I have a certain price in mind for a player, and at the end of the day it’s the player’s choice to go and play where he wants to play. That’s the respect that I have for them.”
Now it looks like it will not be Arsenal but rather Premier League rivals Everton who are about to secure the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes as per ESPN.
Carlo Ancelotti has also been keeping tabs on the 22-year-old for some time now and as per the report, the Toffees are now the favourites to wrap up the deal.
Julien Laurens writes for the ESPN: “Chelsea and Arsenal are battling to sign promising Lille centre-back Gabriel, while Everton are pushing hard to reach an agreement, sources have told ESPN.
“The 22-year-old was having a great season in Ligue 1 before the suspension of the league due to coronavirus and is in high demand all over Europe, with particular interest coming from the Premier League.
“Carlo Ancelotti has also been very impressed by the left-footed defender, who is aggressive and very good on the ball too. Sources have told ESPN that Everton have made a £30 million offer for the Brazilian — the minimum Lille are willing to accept.”
This will be a big setback for Arsenal since the defender has not only been a stellar performer for Lille this season but he was also available for a price which really suited the Gunners’ budget.
Now with Gabriel Magalhaes seemingly all set to join Everton in the summer, Arteta might have to shift his focus to Reims defender Axel Disasi.
