Official: Arsenal complete €30m deal for Gabriel Magalhaes
Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes for a fee thought to be in the region of €30m.
The Gunners have been tracking the Lille man for a number of weeks and they have finally secured his signature, the centre-back agreeing a five-year deal at the Emirates.
Gabriel Magalhaes: Player Statistics, Position and Data
Magalhaes was a dominant presence in Lille's central defensive unit last season, playing 2,087 minutes of Ligue 1 football.
He is characterised by being extremely difficult to pass, as represented by his tackle and duel success rate, as well as aerial duels won.
Gabriel goes alongside another Ligue 1 addition, William Saliba, who arrived from St Etienne last month, and he will compete with David Luiz for a starting berth at the heart of Arsenal's back line.
Arteta said of his new arrival: “We welcome Gabriel to Arsenal. He has many qualities which will make us stronger as a defensive unit and as a team.
“He has proved with Lille that he is a defender with many outstanding attributes, and we are looking forward to watching him grow as an Arsenal player.”
The player confirmed via a video call with fellow Brazilians Willian and Luiz that "it was all good, I have already tried on the shirt, it is all done."
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