Arsenal thankful after Saudi ‘meeting’ as Edu prepares for future
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Arsenal chief Edu has reportedly opened contract talks with Gabriel Magalhaes (Image: Getty). Arsenal will be thanking their lucky stars that they kept hold of Gabriel Magalhaes despite interest from the Saudi Pro League last summer.
And now they are reportedly keen to reward the Brazilian with a new contract, as sporting director Edu puts things in place to secure the long-term future of another important player. Reports in the Middle East suggested that the President of the Saudi Federation even went as far as holding a meeting with the Arsenal defender.
But the financial allure of heading to Saudi wasn’t enough to prise Gabriel away from the Emirates Stadium. And he has come on leaps and bounds this season to build a formidable partnership with William Saliba at centre-back.
Gabriel’s current Arsenal contract runs until the summer of 2027 (Image: Getty). Talks are believed to be at an early stage, with the club’s full focus on the Premier League title run-in, but they are expected to ramp up during the summer transfer window.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Ben White, Martin Odegaard, and Saliba have all put pen to paper on new deals over the past few months. Arsenal took a punt on Gabriel after only one season of regular Ligue 1 football with Lille.
The decision has paid off massively, with the 26-year-old now one of the finest defenders in the Premier League. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding.
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Gabriel has started 30 of Arsenal’s 34 league games this season, with two more appearances coming from the substitutes’ bench. The Gunners are a point ahead of Manchester City with four matches to play, although they have played a game more than Pep Guardiola’s side.
Gabriel and his teammates are on a quest to avenge last term’s painful capitulation in which they opened the door for City to catch up, overtake them, and ultimately clinch a third consecutive title. Next up for Arsenal is a short trip to local rivals Tottenham, who would love nothing more than to spoil their chances of winning a first Premier League crown in two decades.
