Arsenal: David Ornstein reveals Gunners want to sign Brazilian defender
Arsenal’s summer has been a rollercoaster so far.
They missed out on European football via their league position but after being crowned FA Cup champions, the Gunners secured Europa League qualification by other means.
The transfer window is now open and the north Londoners look like they could be one of the busiest in the market.
A deal for Willian looks all but confirmed after the Chelsea attacker left on a free transfer, while rumours of a swoop for Philippe Coutinho are failing to go away either.
He could arrive at the Emirates Stadium on a temporary basis if their interest materialises.
Coutinho has been offered to the Premier League side and it’s now just down to them to figure out whether they want to sign the Brazilian.
However, it’s another South American player that’s now at the forefront of the headlines.
The go-to man for transfers, David Ornstein, delivered a fresh update on the club’s pursuit of Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
Earlier this month it was claimed by France Bleu that Arsenal were in pole position to sign him but we weren’t too secure about the credibility of the source.
However, Ornstein has added further fuel to the fire with his recent claims.
Talking on his YouTube show ‘Ask Ornstein‘, The Athletic journalist commented:
“Arsenal’s interest is credible. They do like him a lot. He’s been high up on their scouting reports for a long time now & it would be a deal potentially that Mikel Arteta would like to do to bolster Arsenal’s defence.”
GIVEMESPORT’S Matt Dawson says…
This is a particularly eye-catching piece of news.
It’s clear that Arsenal’s defence needs improving and they could soon find a remedy.
Mikel Arteta made the team a more compact outfit after replacing Unai Emery but there are still massive flaws to address.
After all, they conceded 48 goals in the Premier League this term, the third-highest in the division’s top ten teams.
Shkodran Mustafi can never truly be trusted while David Luiz’s shoddy first campaign with the club saw him concede five penalties and sent off twice.
The club have welcomed William Saliba back into the fold following his loan move to St Etienne but it can’t be certain whether he’ll fulfil his potential.
Gabriel is still young at the age of 22, but has more experience and performed to a high standard in Ligue 1.
Throughout 2019/20, the centre-back won 3.5 aerial duels per game and also won 1.7 tackles per match.
That being said, Arteta must ensure that signing Gabriel is no detriment to Saliba.
Arsenal have a plethora of centre-backs at their disposal – Sokratis, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding are still on their books. Thus, for either of Gabriel or Saliba to thrive, perhaps some need to be sold.
Read More:Arsenal: David Ornstein reveals Gunners want to sign Brazilian defender