"This is very strong and clear" - Arsenal won't sell star defender for even €200 million, claims Fabrizio Romano
Arsenal have no plans to sell Gabriel Magalhaes this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Gunners are willing to reject offers of up to €200 million for the defender, who has played just 24 minutes in two Premier League games this season.
Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad have shown interest in the Arsenal star but have not agreed a deal yet. Nuno Espírito Santo wants a strong defender, and the Gunners star is one of his top picks.
Speaking on KICK, Romano said that his Arsenal sources have sent a clear message to clubs interested in siging Gabriel. The Brazilian will not be sold this summer even if the club gets €200 million offers for him. Romano said:
"The first negotiation between Al Ittihad and Gabriel Magalhaes is something that sources close to Arsenal and also close to the player consider almost impossible.
"Arsenal have no intention to sell Gabriel Magalhaes. They consider him a very important player. My sources, yesterday, when I was asking, they told me not even €200 million (£170m) will convince Arsenal to let Gabriel Magalhaes go. So, at the moment, Gabriel is staying at Arsenal. This is very strong and clear."
Real Madrid were also linked with the Brazilian after Eder Militao had suffered a potentially season-ending ACL injury earlier this month.
Mikel Arteta sends message to Arsenal star Gabriel
Manager Mikel Arteta has insisted that Gabriel Magalhaes is a part of his plans despite the Brazilian not starting in the first two Premier League games. The Gunners manager added that it was just a tactical decision to not play the former Lille star and added that he was good when he came on.
After the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, Arteta said that he did not use Gabriel, as Arsenal's set-up in both games did not make him fit for the system:
"It's about the games that we were expecting, what I was expecting, how we wanted to defend and attack and our belief it was the best thing.
"He's played in both games. He's helped us to win both games for different reasons. He was really good. He absolutely dominated the box. He's going to play a lot of games. That's the decision sometimes."
Al Ittihad have not given up on signing Gabriel Magalhaes from Arsenal this summer. However, they also have PSG star Marquinhos and Manchester United's Raphael Varane in their plans.