Arsenal PREPARING for Gabriel exit with Premier League replacement lined up
Suraj Radia
- 28 Aug 2023 19:56 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal are preparing for the possibility of Gabriel Magalhaes leaving the club before Friday’s transfer deadline, with the Gunners having identified replacements for the defender already.
Gabriel started all of Arsenal’s matches in the Premier League last season but the Brazilian has been a surprise omission from Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up this season, playing just 24 minutes across their three games so far.
The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and Real Madrid this summer, however Arsenal have stated that Gabriel is not for sale despite the intriguing decline in his play time.
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Gabriel has featured in 98 of the 117 Premier League games since joining Arsenal for £27 million in 2020 but Arteta has insisted the Brazilian’s relegation to the bench is purely tactical.
However, the Daily Mail claim that there is ‘uncertainity, although remote’ over whether Gabriel will be sold before the end of the month, with a belief that Saudi sides could make the Gunners and offer too good to refuse.
The club have already prepared themselves to strike for a new defender if there is any progress over Gabriel’s future, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi quoted as a ‘prominent target’.
Why Gabriel could be sold regardless of game time
There are calls for Gabriel to be reintegrated into Arteta’s team should he remain at the Emirates past Friday following Arsenal’s disappointing 2-2 draw at home to ten-man Fulham.
Arteta has opted to play Thomas Partey at right-back to accommodate summer signings Declan Rice and Kai Havertz in midfield, meaning Ben White has shifted to centre-back in place of Gabriel.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior have been preferred at left-back in Oleksandr Zinchenko’s absence after Kieran Tierney was loaned to Real Sociedad, further limiting Gabriel’s chances.
Arsenal have spent more than £200m this summer and Gabriel’s sale would ease any concerns over financial fair play, even if the player is still valued by Arteta.
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While the Gunners have yet to confirm Folarin Balogun’s £38.5m move to Monaco, Arsenal have raised just £30m in sales this summer and may prefer to cash in on Gabriel to balance the books instead of more academy graduates like Emile Smith Rowe, who is thought to be wanted by Chelsea.
