Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães remains on the verge of becoming an Arsenal player, with the transfer saga having dragged on for longer than many thought it would.
Despite late claims of Manchester United interest, which appeared to be to rush people to get the deal done, Lille’s Gabriel narrowed his options down to two choices: Arsenal or Napoli.
It became clear that for Napoli he’d have to wait, potentially for over a month, with the club not seeming on the verge of selling Kalidou Koulibaly.
Signing Gabriel was dependent on their own defender’s exit, and with Manchester City not rushing to complete a deal, it gave Arsenal a clearer path to securing the Brazilian.
L’Equipe report Gabriel will travel to London today or ‘at the latest’ tomorrow. There he will undergo a medical and sign a five year contract with Arsenal.
RMC agree, although they believe the player will travel on Tuesday.
There’s no explanation over what will happen with regards to quarantine. Should Gabriel be in France still, then he’d be required to self-isolate for two weeks upon his arrival in London, which would clearly make a medical difficult.