(Football news) Gabriel Magalhaes signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. Since joining the Gunners from Lille in September 2020, Gabriel has become a vital part of the first team, making 81 appearances in all competitions. The 24-year-old defender continues to grow in stature with his impressive performances and has also become a big goal scoring threat over the past year. He scored on his debut in September 2020, and since then he went on to score five times in the Premier League last season.
He was a Brazil youth international and was called up to the senior squad for the first time in November 2021. He was an unused substitute during the 2022 World Cup qualifying matches as well. Gabriel began his career with Avai in Brazil, before he moved to France with Lille as a teenager in January 2017. He then had brief loan spells with Troyes in Ligue 1 and Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia as he won the domestic double. The centre half made his debut for Lille in February 2019. Gabriel Magalhaes has signed a new five-year deal with Arsenal with his contract valid till 2027 as he has an option to extend it further.
Negotiations are also well underway to give William Saliba a new deal, while forward Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are also understood to be the next players on Arsenal's list of priorities when it comes to new contracts. Manager Mikel Arteta also put pen to paper in May, signalling a serious degree of faith from the Arsenal hierarchy which has shown a lot of promise as the signs are that the move is paying off.
Technical Director Edu said: “It’s great that we’ve agreed a new deal with Gabi. At 24, he’s still a young player and is part of our future. His performances since he joined us in 2020 have been very strong and his positive impact to our results have been clear for everyone to see.
"He has grown so much on and off the pitch, with both his contribution and communication on and off the pitch. We all look forward to see Gabi continue to grow as an important part of our club.”
Mikel Arteta added: “Gabi has shown huge qualities since he joined us. He is a young player with a great work ethic and his consistent strong performances have been hugely important to us over the past two seasons. Working with Gabi every day is a pleasure, he has formed strong relationships with everyone at the club and we’re so pleased that he has committed to us on a long-term contract."
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