The Times has recently stated that Arsenal are in pole position to seal a move for LOSC Lille centre-back Gabriel Magalhães after agreeing on a five-year deal with the player in this off-season. It has been claimed that the Gunners and Napoli have agreed on a fee for the Brazilian defender, who prefers a move to the English capital this summer.
Gabriel’s Recent Rise In French Football
The Sao Paulo-born prospect enjoyed a strong season at Lille after establishing himself as a consistent performer at the heart of Christophe Galtier’s backline. He had got one goal and six yellow cards to his name in 34 appearances for the French side last season in all competitions.
Defensively, Gabriel was in fine form for his team in Europe as he averaged 2.0 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and 3.7 clearances per game in the UEFA Champions League. However, the Brazilian sensation needs to take care of the ball better when passing it out from the back as he only made 75.8% of his attempted passes in European football (stats via whoscored).
The 22-year-old is a special talent and could be in for a very bright future if he can continue improving his game with each season. Gabriel is precisely the type of defender that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta should look to recruit during this summer transfer period as he is young and has the potential to become a world-class defender someday.
What Will The Brazilian Centre-Half Bring To The Emirates Stadium?
Gabriel is a physically imposing defender who loves a tackle inside his half and has the tenacity to win the ball back for his team. He excels at sensing the threat quickly and can position himself well to deal with the danger at the back. The ex-Troyes youngster can command his penalty box with authority and conviction but needs to improve his ball-distribution if he wants to settle into Arteta’s brand of football at North London. Gabriel is primarily a centre-back but can also fill in as a defensive midfielder if his manager needs him to do so.
The Lille whizkid has the potential to become a regular feature at the centre of the Gunners defence if he moves to the English capital this summer. Gabriel will stabilise the Arsenal backline and add more protection for Bernd Leno on the defensive end of the field. Furthermore, his recent form suggests that Gabriel would be an upgrade over William Saliba, David Luiz, Pablo Mari, Rob Holding, Shkodran Mustafi and Callum Chambers at the Emirates Stadium in the upcoming campaign.
At 22, Gabriel’s ceiling is sky-high, but there are some concerns over whether he would be able to replicate his high standards in the Premier League. If the Brazilian can hit the ground running at North London, then he could help Arsenal challenge for a top-four place and even compete for some domestic silverware in the coming seasons.
