Juventus set sights on Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has reportedly been made aware of Juventus’ interest in luring him to Italy this summer.

According to Brazilian news outlet UOL, Gabriel features Juve’s wishlist close to the top, with Arsenal unwilling to give up their star defender.

The 24-year-old has grown into one of the Gunners’ most dependable defenders under Mikel Arteta since his £27million arrival from Lille in September 2020.

He accrued 35 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, even notching up five goals, a few of which proved crucial, as Arsenal qualified for next season’s Europa League.

Gabriel developed a formidable defensive partnership with Ben White, which provided the backbone for the Gunners’ noticeable resurrection following a poor start to the season.

But another failed attempt to secure Champions League football for the first time since 2015/16 could deter the Brazilian from committing his future to the Emirates Stadium.

Indeed, Arsenal’s underwhelming fifth-place finish in the Premier League could leave them vulnerable to any attempts to prise Gabriel away from London in the coming months.

Gabriel’s potential departure would be one of the headline Premier League transfers this summer should Juventus persuade Arsenal to sanction a move.

Yet, Arteta is desperate to strengthen his side in the summer as part of his bid to mount a genuine top-four challenge next term.

In addition to landing a few new faces in the upcoming transfer window, keeping hold of the 24-year-old is one of the Spaniards’ priorities.

However, Gabriel’s desire to compete in the Champions League has come to Juventus’ knowledge. The record-time Italian champions look to launch an offer to take him away from England.

Poised to overhaul his squad after back-to-back fourth-place finishes in Serie A, head coach Massimiliano Allegri will try to reinforce his porous defence first.

Long-serving captain Giorgio Chiellini waved goodbye to the Allianz Stadium after 18 years.

Leonardo Bonucci, 35, is not getting younger, while Daniele Rugani has failed to convince Allegri.

There is still a question mark hovering over Matthijs de Ligt’s head.

The Dutch centre-back has generated plenty of interest across Europe, with Barcelona reportedly leading the chase.

There are several other potential destinations for de Ligt, including Chelsea and Manchester United.

With the Dutchman’s future in Turin up in the air, Juventus may need to land another defender in the summer.

Gabriel would be a massive upgrade on Rugani, but Arsenal have high hopes for the Brazilian.

Arteta reportedly strongly believes his defensive stalwart wants to pledge his future to the Emirates Stadium.

He even considers pitching Gabriel with a new contract proposal to make sure he stays at the club for years to come.

The highly-rated centre-back played his part in the Premier League season finale as Arsenal thrashed Everton 5-1.

But he is currently on the sidelines with an injury and was forced to sit out Brazil’s international friendly against South Korea.

Gabriel could be a massive injury concern heading into the summer after he missed out on his national team’s 5-1 thumping of their Asian counterparts.

His potential fitness problem may even reinforce Arsenal’s bid to fend off Juventus’ interest and maintain his defensive partnership with White beyond the summer.