BARCELONA ‘LINGER’ AROUND ARSENAL STAR AS EDU INITIATES ‘INITIAL’ CONTRACT TALKS TO FEND OFF INTEREST

Arsenal plan to fend off the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich by tying Gabriel Magalhaes down to a new contract at the Emirates.

After a productive summer transfer window, Arsenal are now focusing on tying some of their top assets down to new contracts. Indeed, Arteta recently signed a new deal with the club which is valid until 2027.

One of Arsenal’s stars who is currently attracting interest from elsewhere is Gabriel and for good reason. The 26-year-old has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League for the last three seasons and clubs from abroad are starting to take notice.

According to HITC, both Barcelona and Bayern Munich have continued to ‘linger’ around the Brazilian centre-half, but Arsenal plan to fend them off by offering him a new contract.

His current deal with the Gunners runs until 2027, but Arsenal are working on a new ‘long-term’ contract that would put an end to the exit speculation.

The report claims that ‘initial’ talks have taken place between club bosses and Gabriel and the Gunners ‘expect’ the Brazilian to sign the extension before the end of the calendar year.

Gabriel wants to return to Brazil in the future

While Barcelona and Bayern Munich continue to track the 26-year-old, Gabriel seems content in North London for the time being.

However, the defender has made it no secret that he plans to return to Brazil one day, to play for Corinthians.

“I still go to Corinthians games by train. It’s my dream, I want to play for Corinthians, I want to feel that energy,” Gabriel said during an interview in June.

“It’s something to think about. Sometimes I stop and think, ‘Do you dream of playing for Corinthians?’ I do. ‘When would you play for Corinthians?’ For me, I’d be at Corinthians tomorrow.

“I hope it doesn’t take too long because I want to feel the energy of those fans, who are incredible, as soon as possible.”

Plenty of Brazilian stars tend to return to South America in the twilight years of their career. Indeed, the likes of Thiago Silva and Alex Sandro have both joined Brazilian sides this summer.

However, given Gabriel is still in the peak years of his career, it seems unlikely that he will be returning to Brazil any time soon, especially with a new long-term contract in the works at Arsenal.

Arsenal have other contracts to consider

While Arsenal plan on extending Gabriel’s contract, the club will have to make a final decision on Jorginho and Thomas Partey in the near future as they are both out of contract in 2025.

The Italian midfielder has been linked with a move to Turkey, although the Gunners are unlikely to sell him at this stage.

Jorginho is by no means a guaranteed starter at Arsenal, but he is still a useful player who Arteta used on 36 occasions last season.

In regards to Partey, he seems likely to leave at the end of the season, unless he can convince Arteta that he is worthy of a new contract extension.

The 31-year-old has started in all three of Arsenal’s Premier League matches so far this season, but his injury record in recent years doesn’t make for great reading.

As reported earlier this month, the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli are considering signing the 31-year-old once his contract expires.

DON’T MISS: The key contract details of every Arsenal first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…

How Gabriel compares to William Saliba

Gabriel signed for Arsenal from Lille in 2020 for a fee worth £27m including add-ons and he’s played a major role in the Gunners’ success under Arteta.

The Brazilian’s partnership with William Saliba at centre-back for Arsenal is undoubtedly one of the most formidable in the Premier League.

Gabriel made 36 league appearances for Arsenal last season – all of which saw him play alongside Saliba – and helped his team to an impressive 16 clean sheets in the process. He also showcased his ability in front of goal, finding the net four times.

Gabriel and Saliba make a similar number of tackles per game with 1.3 and 1.1 respectively. They also make 0.9 and 0.8 interceptions per match.

Both players are excellent on the ball, with Gabriel having a pass success rate of 89% versus Saliba’s 93% and this is vital to the way Arsenal play.

The fact that Arsenal’s new centre-back signing Riccardo Calafiori hasn’t started a game so far this season is a testament to how important Gabriel and Saliba are to the North London club.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see Arsenal working hard to tie Gabriel down to a new long-term deal.

2024-09-13T11:13:30Z dg43tfdfdgfd