Arsenal are set to announce the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes this week after the Lille defender signed a five-year contract, according to reports.
The Gunners have already completed a deal to sign Willian on a free transfer from Chelsea this summer but Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his squad even more ahead of the new season.
Gabriel had attracted interest from several clubs including Manchester United and Napoli but Arsenal won the race and have agreed a €30 million (£27m) deal with Lille.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Gabriel has now completed his medical with Arsenal and has put pen to paper on a five-year deal.
Arsenal are now planning to officially announce their new signing before the end of the week.
Gabriel is expected to form a new-look partnership alongside William Saliba at the heart of Arsenal’s defence.
After spending last season on loan at Saint-Etienne, Saliba is now training with Arsenal and delivered a solid performance in a pre-season friendly against MK Dons on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Goal report that Gabriel had impressed Arsenal scouts so much that he was top of their recommendation list which was submitted to the club’s hierarchy ahead of the summer transfer window.
‘I feel he is among the top five dominant central defenders in Europe right now,’ Lille president Gerard Lopez said earlier this year.
‘He’s an absolute machine, so to me, he’s well on his way – if not this year – to potentially a really big club.
‘I’m certain he’s on his way to the Brazilian national team at some point.’
