Arsenal technical director Edu spoke to Lille about signing Gabriel Magalhaes in January, and the club plan to go back in the summer, according to reports.

The S*n claim Edu spoke to Lille about taking Gabriel Magalhaes on loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy. Lille president Gerard Lopez had no interest in the offer though.

According to that report, Gabriel would cost £30m. The valuation is partly as a result of the £27m Arsenal spent on William Saliba last summer.

Arsenal face competition for the signing though. As well as reports from the last few days of interest from Everton, Duncan Castles claims Manchester City also want to sign him.

Castles reports that both Arsenal and Everton are ‘very serious’ in trying to acquire the player. City haven’t made an offer yet, but they’ve made contact with the player’s agents. Castles adds that Gabriel could cost £40-45m, contrary to The S*n’s claims.

The 22-year-old Brazilian defender is already up to 30 appearances for the season. He’s strong in the air, likes a long pass, and prefers his left foot. After extending his contract to 2023 recently, he could be the centre of a transfer battle this summer.