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There have been very early discussions between Arsenal and Gabriel Magalhaes’ representatives over a new contract. Nothing is close, with the focus for Arsenal right now purely on finishing the season and trying to win the Premier League. But the possibility of sitting down to start negotiations have been raised and I would expect those talks to start during the summer.
Edu has done superb work in ensuring that Arsenal’s talented young squad are all tied down to long-term deals, it’s something he sees as essential. It’s not just about protecting the club either. Yes, Arsenal want to know that their best talent are secured to long-term deals, but Edu is very big on ensuring players are rewarded for their performances and paid what they are worth. And in Gabriel, Arsenal have one of the very best defenders in the league.
He only signed his last deal a couple of years ago, so there is no rush in terms of how long he has left, but in those two years since signing he has developed into one of the best centre-backs around. William Saliba gets most of the headlines at Arsenal, but Gabriel has been equally as impressive this season. In fact, in my mind anyway, he has had the better season of the two. He has been one of the big recent success stories at Arsenal.
The deal to sign him from Lille for just £27m in 2020 has proven to be an absolute bargain. It could have been very different though because Gabriel almost ended up at Everton. He passed a medical ahead of a move to Goodison Park, only for the coronavirus pandemic to delay his switch to Merseyside. With football shut down, the transfer wasn’t finalised and just a few months later, Arsenal made their move and Gabriel opted for a switch to North London and has been an integral part of Arsenal’s rise back towards the top of English football ever since.
What Arsenal in terms of their midfield will be one of most interesting aspects of the upcoming summer window. They will certainly have to do some business, given there are doubts over the futures of both Thomas Partey and Jorginho, while the out of contract Mohamed Elneny will certainly leave.
They have been tracking Martin Zubimendi at Real Sociedad for a while now and he does have quite an…
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