Gabriel Magalhiz is set to sit out Saturday night’s Ligue 1 fixture with Rennes at Lille, with Arsenal confident a deal to sign him is close to being completed.
The transfer could be worth up to £27m, and was initially expected to go through without a hitch a few days ago as Arsenal made a solid move to sign him. Manchester United were reported to have come into the equation later in the day, which gave the player something to think about, but their interest was not piqued.
Gabriel has emerged as one of Ligue 1’s most exciting young centre-backs / Sylvain Lefebvre / Getty Images
Fabrizio Romano reports that the Gunners have “increased their offer” for Gabriel in the face of United’s interest in completing the deal – some very simple tactics from his representatives to get the best deal. Looks like scary. But now it looks like a move to North London is imminent.
The Times reports that the doctor has since taken place, although the player’s representatives and his club have denied this.
Gabriel enjoyed a very successful 2019/20 season before being relegated to Ligue 1, making 34 appearances in all competitions and helping his side to fourth place.
Gabriel will not play tonight due to his transfer. His colleagues have denied any medical examination. Lily does not want to complete any deal on the day of the match. His delegation and Lille have denied a full deal, but Arsenal are close.
— Mohamed Bouhafsi (@mohamedbouhafsi) August 22, 2020
His performances have seen him attract plenty of interest, but Arsenal have been frontrunners for some time and have fended off interest from a number of other rivals.
Napoli had appointed the player as a replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly, who is attracting interest from Manchester City and Chelsea, while Everton had come close enough to sign him months before the coronavirus outbreak. Can only be done through medical. action stopped.
Il Corriere dello Sport (via Napoli Magazine), claim that Napoli have turned their attention to Arsenal’s Sokratis, and Arsenal will consider it another big transfer window triumph if their interest is pursued.