Arsenal are currently waiting on Gabriel Magalhaes to make a transfer decision about his club future, and that could come within the next 24 hours, according to reports in France via the Daily Star.
The 22-year-old joined Lille in January of 2017 and has spent some time on loan with other clubs. He has established himself as an important member of the French club’s defence this season, playing 24 matches and scoring just a solitary goal.
Reportedly, the North London club is leading the race for Gabriel’s signature after Lille accepted their £22m bid, but Napoli are providing some strong competition at the last minute. The Italian club have made an 11th hour effort to sign the centre-back and are offering better personal terms, so it is now up to Gabriel to decide which way to go.
The report further claims that the Brazilian’s preference is to move to the Premier League, which gives Arsenal an edge over Napoli. His father, Marcelo Magalhaes, reportedly liked an Instagram post which featured an image of his son in an Arsenal kit.
According to French journalist Saber Desfarges, the defender will make a decision on his next move by Wednesday.
Négociations toujours en cours. La conclusion du transfert et la décision définitive de Gabriel Magalhaes sont espérées dans les 24 heures. #Mercato
— Saber Desfarges (@SaberDesfa) August 18, 2020
The young defender is strong in the air and holds the ball well, which will bring some much needed stability to Arsenal’s shaky defence. He is left-footed and will give the Emirates club a new dimension in their build-up play which will be a huge appealing factor for manager Mikel Arteta.
If he does choose to sign for Arsenal, he will be joining his former Lille teammate, Nicolas Pepe, who joined last year.
He will not find it too difficult to settle in as he will have his Brazilian compatriots Pablo Mari, David Luiz and Willian to help him acclimatise.
Arsenal made a move to secure the long-term future of their defence by signing William Saliba last season and Magalhaes will be another step in that direction. The Gunners fans will be hoping that the centre-back will take a favourable decision.