Last week, at the peak of the Gabriel Magalhães saga, it kind of became a joke that the defender was taking so long to make a decision over his future.
The Lille player had to choose between Arsenal and Napoli, and despite several reports saying he was close on picking one, it took a while until the move to the Gunners was finally reported.
Brazilian outlet UOL features a piece from journalist Danilo Lavieri today which explains why Gabriel Magalhães finally took the offer from the London side at the weekend.
It’s said Napoli only wanted to close the transfer once they confirmed the departure of defender Kalidou Koulibably. The 22-year-old, who had an agreement in principle both with Arsenal and with the Italian side, didn’t want to wait anymore, and ended up taking the Gunners’ offer.
Lavieri also writes that Gabriel’s move to Arsenal ‘passed through the hands’ of Edu Gaspar. The director, who used to work for the Brazilian national team, got ‘references’ from the player at the Seleção’s youth ranks, and ‘liked what he heard’.
It’s claimed that Gabriel Magalhães is landing in London today to sign his five-year deal with the Gunners.
