Gabriel Magalhaes assisted by Nicolas Pepe for Lille in 2019
Arsenal have beaten other clubs to the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes because of how technical director Edu and head coach Mikel Arteta sold the club to the player, according to transfer expert Duncan Castles. Arsenal have agreed an initial £22million deal with Lille for Gabriel, rising to £27m. Manchester United were keen on the 22-year-old Brazilian centre-back, as were Serie A side Napoli.
Arsenal transfer news: Gabriel Magalhaes was convinced to join by Edu and Mikel Arteta (Image: GETTY)
"Monday morning, I'm told [Napoli] came back to Lille with an improved offer for Gabriel, improved on what Arsenal had offered them, of €32m and tried to have the medical for Gabriel stalled so that they could complete the deal," he said on the Transfer Window podcast.
"Lille, however, concluded with Arsenal and said 'you can carry on, you can go to London to finish the move'.
"I'm told that part of the factor in that going through at less money for Arsenal than Napoli were prepared to pay on Monday was because Edu had done such a good job in convincing Gabriel that Arsenal was a better destination for him to move to.
"Edu plus Mikel Arteta talking to the player and selling a story about how the team intended to be improved this season and where they could go forward in the coming seasons.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
"So I think it's a very notable success for Arsenal to win a battle for a player who has been coveted by a number of clubs, and to do it at a reasonably-priced fee for a centre-back these days."
Meanwhile, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has also explained how influential Edu can be in signing Brazilian players in particular.
"I think Edu has got a really, really big draw," Solhekol said.
"Of course he was the, not the manager of the Brazil national team, but he oversaw the Brazil national team for a few years.
"If you're a Brazilian player and Edu calls you and says 'Come to Arsenal, look what I achieved at Arsenal, everything is here for you to develop as a player', it's difficult to say no to him.
"That's why we're seeing Arsenal signing these kinds of players."
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission on any sales of products or services we write about. This article was written completely independently, see more details here