Gabriel Magalhaes doesn’t know whether he’ll join Arsenal in the future, but he says he’d love to play in the Premier League.

Lille's Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes (L) vies with Strasbourg's French midfielder Adrien Thomasson during the French L1 football match between Strasbourg (RCSA) and Lille (LOSC), on February 1, 2020, at the Meinau stadium in Strasbourg, eastern France. (Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP)
Lille’s Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes (L) vies with Strasbourg’s French midfielder Adrien Thomasson during the French L1 football match between Strasbourg (RCSA) and Lille (LOSC), on February 1, 2020, at the Meinau stadium in Strasbourg, eastern France. (Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP)

The media first strongly linked Lille centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes to Arsenal in December. The Athletic reported the Gunners were one of several clubs paying close attention to him. The problem was that they’d have to sell to afford a permanent deal.

In the end, Arsenal opted for Pablo Mari on loan from Flamengo instead. The rumours shifted to a possible summer move for Magalhaes instead. This week, the player himself answered questions on whether an Arsenal move could be in his future.

“Maybe, I don’t know,” Magalhaes said. “But I would love to play in the Premier League.”

According to recent reports, Arsenal technical director Edu spoke to Lille about the player in January. He wanted Arsenal to sign Magalhaes on loan with an option to buy. Unfortunately, the Ligue 1 club had no interest in that proposal.

The 22-year-old Brazilian defender is already up to 31 appearances for the season. He’s strong in the air, likes a long pass, and prefers his left foot. That’s clearly important for Mikel Arteta, considering his push to sign Mari.

After extending his contract to 2023 recently, Magalhaes could be the centre of a transfer battle this summer.