Why Arsenal could sell Gabriel to Juventus

Robin Bairner

18 May 2022 12:52 BST
3 min read

Arsenal are ready to make the shock decision to sell centre-back Gabriel this summer, with Juventus ready to make a move for the Brazilian.

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Given that the 24-year-old has played 34 of the club’s 37 Premier League matches this season and has been an ever present since missing the opening three games of the campaign due to a knee injury, the report from Tuttosport comes as a surprise.

However, Mikel Arteta has dropped a hint over the past couple of games that he is unhappy with the centre-back’s performance. In both the 3-0 loss to Tottenham and the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle – a pair of results that mean it is unlikely that the Gunners will miss the Champions League next season – Gabriel was hauled off as Arsenal went for broke in the closing stages.

The Italian report states that Gabriel is now being lined up by Juventus as a possible successor to Giorgio Chiellini, who will leave the Turin giants at the end of the season. Juve are said to be finessing a deal into reality as doubts grow at the Emirates over their South American centre-back.

Gabriel’s Arsenal demise

Gabriel was seen as an ideal player for the Gunners’ defence when he arrived from Lille in the summer of 2020, but while he has been far from catastrophic this season, Arsenal have not progressed at the speed that Arteta would have wished, the report states.

The return of William Saliba, too, could prompt change. Arteta wants a left-sided ball-playing defender in his back four, and while Gabriel has typically filled this role, the man who spent the last year impressing at Marseille could take it over.

Furthermore, the prospect of missing out on the Champions League could prompt Arsenal into a sale in order to raise funds to further strengthen their side.

Gabriel may therefore leave Arsenal after just a couple of seasons, having never quite provided the answers that Arteta was hoping for.