Juventus ‘really like’ Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães, writes Italian journalist Niccolò Ceccarini in his column for TuttoMercatoWeb.
After the Serie A side’s Coppa Italia defeat final to Inter Milan, Giorgio Chiellini announced his decision to leave the Old Lady in the summer.
Juve had already signed Federico Gatti from Frosinone in January. The journalist states the Turin club are clear another centre-back has to arrive in the next window and this is where the Arsenal player fits in.
Juventus liking the South American ‘could lead to an operation’ with the Gunners that will involve Arthur. In other words, the Italian club would be willing to let the midfielder move in the opposite direction so that they can sign Gabriel.
The Gunners were keen on signing Arthur in the winter market, and they even came close to securing his services. This was revealed by the 25-year-old’s agent, Federico Pastorello, when asked whether his client could leave Juve after this season.
“In January we were close to leaving, to Arsenal,” Pastorello said during an interview with La Repubblica.
“He is too important a player to be marginalised, he must also think about the national team. He was hired to play a different type of football, with Sarri he would have played [like] Jorginho, Allegri instead wants two physically structured midfielders.
“The two are esteemed, but it is a tactical question, and I do not make the technical choices. But it is not in anyone’s interest to continue in this situation.”
