Italian giants Juventus are believed to have made strides in their effort to sign key Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
That’s according to a recent report from the Mirror, who claims Juventus are growing in confidence that they’ll be able to lure the 24-year-old away from London.
The Italian side will undoubtedly be looking to replace seasoned defender Giorgio Chiellini this summer after his departure from the club was confirmed by leading transfer expert and CaughtOffside columnist Fabrizio Romano.
Official, confirmed. Giorgio Chiellini has announced that he will leave Juventus at the end of the current season, after 17 years. ?????? #Juventus
Chiellini has received two proposals from MLS – including one from Los Angeles FC. No decision made yet. pic.twitter.com/9ULBGh7vfR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 11, 2022
Arsenal, on the other hand, has seen Gabriel become a hugely influential senior figure which has been echoed by the fact he has played 35 domestic games throughout the 2021-22 season.
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Speaking earlier this month about the Brazilian’s standout performances, manager Mikel Arteta took the time to praise Gabriel.
“Those performances have been really consistent throughout the season, defending and now scoring really important goals for us, which is an add on that you hope to have in your centre defenders but it’s easy to find,” the Spanish tactician told the club’s official website.
Given Arteta’s clear admiration for his number six, it is fair to assume that the Emirates boss will not want to lose him during this summer’s transfer window.
That being said though, fans will undoubtedly be worrying about just how damaging their team’s failure to finish inside the top four could be.
Since Gabriel’s arrival from Lille back in 2020, the centre-back, who has three years left on his deal, has gone on to feature in 70 matches, across all competitions, directly contributing to nine goals along the way.