English Premier League club Arsenal are reportedly on the brink of completing the signing of Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille. The Gunners are believed to have jumped in front of other suitors and are now frontrunners in the race for the signature of the 22-year-old.
After starring in Lille's remarkable 2019/2020 Ligue 1 campaign that saw them land Champions League football for next season, Gabriel said to be on his way out of the club. In recent weeks, the likes of Manchester United, Napoli, Everton and Arsenal have all met with the entourage of the youngster in anticipation of his potential recruitment this summer.
Earlier this week, reports emerging from France suggested that the Lille had agreed had accepted bids from Napoli, Everton and Arsenal with Manchester United being the only club yet to table an offer. Relatively, the player in question was yet to make a definite decision on his preferred destination among the three suitors.
On Tuesday, the UK tabloid Mirror reported that Everton had dropped out of the race for Gabriel due to the competition from Arsenal and Napoli. The latter had also made the tug-of-war interesting by enticing the center-back with more wages. However, a report on Wednesday by trusted French news outlet L'Equipe revealed that the Lille defender has his heart set on a move to London.
Gabriel will reportedly pen a five-year contract in a deal that will see Arsenal pay Lille an amount close to £27 million pounds. The 22-year-old will be the second player after Nicolas Pepe to join the Gunners in the past 12 months. He is expected to form a defensive partnership with compatriot David Luiz with Arsenal looking to offload the likes of Socratis and Calum Chambers this summer.
