Although there’s been plenty of talk about Arsenal signing Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, it’s finally starting to look like things could be completed.
Lille have a long history of selling their best players on after an impressive season, so it always looked like the defender would be on his way this summer.
It’s worth noting that Arsenal have experience of dealing with Lille from the transfer of Nicolas Pepe last summer, and it sounds like things with Gabriel could be sorted within hours:
Breaking | Arsenal expected to reach final contractual agreement with Lille defender Gabriel in the coming hours, according to L’Équipe.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 19, 2020
Arsenal’s defence has been a weak spot for years now, but the signing of Gabriel and the return of William Saliba from his loan spell does suggest the future could be bright.
It does mean there could be an abundance of centre backs in the team, with David Luiz, Pablo Mari, Sokratis and Mustafi all in the squad too, so it won’t be a surprise if someone has to move on.
We’re still waiting on the official confirmation coming from the clubs, but it sounds like it could be tied up as soon as tomorrow.