Mikel Arteta set to make Lille centre-back Magalhaes his next signing

Aug 24, 2020 06:00 am

Lille centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes is expected to arrive in London today to complete a £27 million (S$48.5m) move to Arsenal, having agreed terms on a five-year deal, British media reported.

Magalhaes had been attracting attention from several clubs, with Lille accepting bids from Napoli and Everton, while Manchester United and Manchester City, both reportedly in the market for a left-footed centre-back, were monitoring the situation closely.

The 22-year-old Brazilian will become Mikel Arteta's second signing, following the arrival of winger Willian from rivals Chelsea on a free transfer.

Magalhaes is expected to form a defensive partnership with William Saliba, who has already started pre-season training following his season-long loan at Saint-Etienne during the 2019-20 campaign, as Arteta builds a squad capable of securing a top-four spot in the English Premier League.

Arteta still wants to add a midfielder and a forward to the Gunners' ranks, reported The Guardian. He will have to offload an already bloated set of centre-back options in David Luiz, Pablo Mari, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.