Expert: Gabriel to agree Arsenal deal after 'agent reveal'

03/26/2025 05:00 PM

Arsenal are more likely to tie Gabriel Magalhaes down to a new contract than they are to allow the Brazilian to move to Saudi Arabia.

That's according to former Manchester United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the game, and exclusively told Football Insider that talk of Gabriel moving to the Saudi Pro League is likely not the case.

Gabriel returns to The Emirates following an eventful international break with Brazil, preparing for a run-in which will see Arsenal aim to go all the way in the Champions League and push Liverpool for the title.

Off the field, however, uncertainty reigns over the 27-year-old’s future, with Arsenal preparing to fend off interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, who are lining up a “mega-money” offer for the defender.

The Gunners’ number six has two years left to run on his deal in North London, but Football Insider exclusively reported on 25 March that a brand-new contract offer will soon be on the table for Gabriel.

Arteta sees Gabriel and his long-time centre-back partner William Saliba as the foundation for future success at Arsenal, and will undoubtedly hope that the Brazilian agrees to a new long-term deal.

Arsenal unlikely to bow to Gabriel agent pressure

Gabriel is far from the only Arsenal player with clubs circling ahead of the summer window, with partner-in-crime Saliba attracting interest from Real Madrid, but Arteta will do his best to keep both defenders.

Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, thinks links with a move away for Gabriel are down to a single factor.

“I think a lot of these things are agent-led, [getting] their clients talked about – like we are, and in the press”, Brown told Football Insider.

“And then the [agents] go to the managers; ‘so and so’s interested in him’, which is probably not the case, they’ve just stirred the pot.

“Gabriel signing a new contract, that’s more likely – given Arsenal’s situation, I would find it very difficult to believe that they would be in favour of him moving on, or allowing him to move on.”

Gabriel contract extension a no brainer for Arsenal

Players can’t be blamed for choosing to up sticks and head for the Saudi Pro League given the sheer scale of wealth on offer at a handful of state-owned clubs, regardless of the level they’re playing at.

However, with Arsenal still seeking the final pieces of the jigsaw to win a first Premier League title since 2004, losing Gabriel would be a bitter blow and leave a huge hole to fill in their entire defensive setup.

Although Mohamed Salah could make a move to Saudi Arabia this summer despite arguably being the best player in the world at the moment, Gabriel is in an entirely different position to the Egyptian winger.

Salah is now 32, from the Arab region, and has won it all with Liverpool; Gabriel faces none of these scenarios, and must know that without him, silverware could once ahain be a long way off for Arsenal.

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