Report: Gabriel is set to snub Manchester United for Arsenal | OneFootball

Manchester United target Gabriel Magalhaes is set to sign for Arsenal.

The Gunners agreed a £22million fee with Lille earlier this week. According to the Telegraph, the centre-back will sign a deal until 2025 after holding contract talks with the club.

This comes as a blow for Manchester United, who were looking to sign the defender as a part of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s summer rebuild.

The in-demand centre-back has enjoyed a solid season at the back for Ligue 1 outfit Lille this season, triggering interest from a host of teams across Europe.

Napoli and Everton are both believed to have been keen on Magalhaes, with the Serie A side also agreeing on a fee with Lille, while the Toffees pulled out, the report adds. Napoli has now turned their attention to Arsenal centre-back Sokratis.

A strong centre-back who is comfortable in the air, Gabriel averaged 1.7 tackles per game and 3.3 clearances per game last season in the league.

Manchester United’s loss of Gabriel to Arsenal is going to be widely blamed to the club’s fixation on Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho. It is believed United made an eleventh-hour effort to secure Gabriel’s services.

This transfer debacle is also going to raise serious questions about the club’s transfer strategy. United’s deal to sign Sancho is stalled and Jack Grealish prefers Manchester City over United.