Romano drops huge transfer update on Arsenal's North London Derby hero

Tom Weber

Updated: 18 Sept 2024 20:50 BST
3 min read

Arsenal will sit down with Gabriel Magalhaes to discuss a new contract in the not-too-distant future, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Brazilian has been a mainstay in the Gunners' defence in recent seasons despite the fact that his spot in the team was not always secure. At the beginning of last season, Mikel Arteta surprisingly dropped Gabriel before he was eventually brought back into the fold.

The acquisition of Riccardo Calafiori this summer also cast doubt on Gabriel's future as an Arsenal starter, but so far, the 26-year-old has been imperious, while his Italian counterpart has struggled for fitness and may fail to get into the side at all as Jurrien Timber has also been excellent at left-back.

Gabriel's form has, unsurprisingly, not gone unnoticed outside of north London and recent reports have claimed that PSG are keeping tabs on the Brazilian, who was the hero for Arsenal in the derby against Tottenham at the weekend.

Arsenal set for contract talks

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are determined to keep hold of their best players and that includes Gabriel. In fact, the Gunners are planning to eventually sit down with the defender to discuss fresh terms, with his current contract expiring in 2027.

"It’s something at an early stage, with nothing particularly concrete so far," Romano told CaughtOffside. "For sure Arsenal want to keep all their stars and Gabriel is one of them. It will be a topic in the next months, but nothing imminent.”

Arsenal have managed to tie several big-name players to the club long-term over the past 12 months and they are keen to do the same with Gabriel. The same is the case for his centre-back partner William Saliba, who has been attracting interest from Real Madrid in recent times.