Arsenal unveil £23m Brazil defender Gabriel Magalhaes

 

Premier League giants Arsenal have completed the signing of Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille for £23.14m.

The 22-year-old centre back made 34 appearances in all competitions for Lille last season as they finished fourth in Ligue 1.

He joins the Gunners on a long-term contract.

“He is a player we have been studying for a while and he was in demand from many clubs,” said Arsenal technical director Edu.

“Gabriel is a player of high quality and Mikel (Arteta) and his coaches are looking forward to integrating him into the club.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “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 he is a defender with many outstanding attributes and we are looking forward to watching him grow as an Arsenal player.”

Gabriel said he considered offers from a number of clubs before deciding to join Arsenal.

“It was a very surreal experience, there were offers coming from a few different clubs,” he said.

“I spoke a lot with my family and my agents, I also spoke with some of Lille’s directors but, as I said, this club’s history and traditions and the team project for the next few years were very motivational for my decision to come here.

“So here I am, wearing the Arsenal shirt – I will give my best for it.”