Arsenal have finally completed the signing of Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille for £27m on a long-term contract.
The Londoners beat Manchester United, Everton, and Serie A club Napoli, who had all held an interest in center-back Gabriel to secure his signature.
The 22-year-old, who made 34 appearances in all competitions last season as Lille finished fourth in Ligue 1, bolsters Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s options in defence. Arsenal’s defence will be further boosted by William Saliba, who spent last season on loan at St Etienne following his £27m signing from the French club last summer.
Gabriel becomes Arsenal’s second major summer signing following compatriot Willian’s move from Chelsea on a free transfer.
Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares made their loan moves permanent from Flamengo and Southampton respectively earlier this summer.
Also, Gabriel is the second player from Lille to join Arsenal in the past 12 months, following Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pepe’s move to the Emirates for a club-record £72m last summer.
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“We welcome Gabriel to Arsenal,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta tells the club’s website. “He has many qualities which will make us stronger as a defensive unit and as a team.
“He has proved with Lille that he is a defender with many outstanding attributes and we are looking forward to watching him grow as an Arsenal player.”
Technical director Edu adds: “We are delighted to have signed Gabriel. He is a player we have been studying for a while and he was in demand from many clubs, so we are proud to have agreed and completed this transfer with Lille and the player.
“Gabriel is a player of high quality and Mikel and his coaches are looking forward to integrating him into the club.”
