Both in need of centre-back reinforcement this season, Arsenal and Everton were looking around the transfer market for the right player.
In the end, Carlo Ancelotti opted against a panic recruit and stuck with what he already had at Goodison Park, while Mikel Arteta agreed to give Pablo Marí a go on loan from Flamengo for an initial €4m loan.
However, there is one player the pair were looking at during the January window, and even made attempts to sign throughout the month, according to Le10 Sport, and that was Lille’s Gabriel Magalhães.
The 22-year-old was signed from Avaí FC back in 2017, but has only really managed to make a name for himself with the French club towards the end of last season under Christophe Galtier.
One of the first names on the team sheet these days in the north of France, the centre-back has attracted some attention with his performances.
Le10 explain both Arsenal and Everton made ‘firm offers’ over ‘many days’ for Gabriel, but Lille’s board didn’t deem them ‘up to their expectations’ and rejected them all.
To avoid any further issues, the Ligue 1 side decided to extend the young defender by another two years, to which he agreed, meaning he will be contracted to the club until 2023.
However, it’s stated the Gunners and the Toffees are both still interested for a summer move, and there are ‘strong chances’ the pair will come back with new and improved offers at the end of the season.
That’s when Lille will have a tough choice to make.
