Could Juventus' Gabriel interest finally give Saliba a chance at Arsenal?
Cameron Smith
- 11 Jul 2022 17:39 BST
- 3 min read
William Saliba could be handed a major boost in his quest to become Arsenal's first choice centre-back following news that Juventus have identified Gabriel Magalhaes as a potential Matthijs de Ligt replacement.
De Ligt, 22, is wanted by both Bayern Munich and Chelsea this summer, with the player keen to leave Juventus and the Bianconeri resigned to the fact that he will likely leave this summer.
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As a result, Juventus have begun sounding out possible replacements for their Dutch star. According to Alfredo Pedulla, the Old Lady have identified Gabriel as the perfect replacement and have initiated contact with Arsenal.
Kalidou Koulibaly and Bremer are two other options for Juventus, but signing either of those two is unlikely to happen.
According to the report, Arsenal are demanding around €40 million for Gabriel, which could easily be paid for using the De Ligt money, which Juve also plan to spend on Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo.
Juventus are also confident they'll be able to negotiate a cheaper fee with Arsenal as they look to rebuild their defence following the exit of Giorgio Chiellini to LAFC and De Ligt's imminent departure.
If Juventus are able to agree a fee with Arsenal and persuade Gabriel to join, then it'll hand an opportunity to the Gunners' returning loanee William Saliba.
Saliba's time at Arsenal so far
Saliba was signed by Arsenal way back in 2020, with Mikel Arteta's side picking him off St Etienne after a promising break-through at the Ligue 1 club.
However, he wasn't selected in Arsenal's Premier League squad and was subsequently loaned out to Nice for the second-half of the season. While compatriot and former St Etienne team-mate Wesley Fofana was earning rave reviews at Leicester, Saliba wasn't fancied at Arsenal. After impressing back in his homeland, Saliba then spent a second year away from the Gunners, this time on loan at Marseille for the 2021/22 season.
The Frenchman was excellent at Marseille, winning Ligue 1's 'Defender of the Year' award and earning his first senior France cap. However, he's now returned to Arsenal, the club he joined two years ago but is still yet to play for.
He was one of Europe's best defenders last season, but Arteta hasn't trusted him previously, so with Benjamin White and Gabriel forming a solid partnership at the back last campaign, there were concerns that Saliba may not be first-choice.
Furthermore, the Gunners have been in heavy pursuit of Ajax's Lisandro Martinez, which suggests that Arteta still wants to add to his centre-back roster.
However, if Juventus are able to land Gabriel then Saliba will be given a great opportunity to finally show his talent for Arsenal, rather than sit waiting in the wings.
