Arsenal are set to make an offer for Gabriel Magalhaes, after a positive response to initial enquiries with the player himself, according to reports.

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 defender Gabriel Magalhaes (L) vies with Adrien Thomasson on February 1, 2020. (Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP)

Vinicius Furlan of Tretis TV claims Arsenal are set to make an offer for Gabriel Magalhaes. The club already spoke to the player to see if he wanted to join, and they received a positive answer. They want to make an offer quickly to avoid a bidding war.

That seems unlikely, though, with a few Premier League clubs already in the race. Interest from Everton and Chelsea is making a bidding war almost a sure thing.

At one point, it seemed like Everton were wrapping up a deal for the centre-back. However, those reports died down and ESPN suggested the other two clubs are still chasing the Brazilian.

As with all the recent transfer rumours, the issue is Arsenal’s inability to pay a major fee. Unless the season plays to its conclusion and the Gunners qualify for the Champions League, there are going to be heavy financial restrictions this summer.

Maybe Arsenal could sweeten the deal by offering a centre-back in return. But they don’t exactly have a plethora of enticing options to sell.

If Arsenal could bring him in, then Gabriel would make a strong addition. As a left-footed centre-back, he could form a good partnership with many of the club’s existing defenders.