Arsenal never wanted to sell Gabriel Magalhaes this summer, even for a bid as large as €200m, according to a report.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal never wanted to sell Gabriel Magalhaes in the summer transfer window.

Despite interest from Saudi Arabia, an exit was never a concrete option, and Arsenal never held any negotiations over a sale.

Romano adds that sources close to the situation claim Arsenal wouldn’t even sell Gabriel to Saudi Arabia for €200m.

Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad were previously considered to be the frontrunners for Gabriel, albeit with Arsenal never looking particularly keen to sell.

But James Benge reported at the end of August that Al-Ittihad were exploring other options. Whilst there was other Saudi interest in Gabriel, it never appeared to be the sort that could convince Arsenal.

Arsenal’s stance was consistently that Gabriel isn’t for sale, even if they did prepare moves for a potential replacement just in case.

Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi was reportedly among Arsenal’s key targets in that scenario.

Arsenal were reportedly under no pressure to sell, and John Cross wrote for the Mirror that the fact Jurrien Timber is set for a lay-off meant the club were keen that there would be no firm bid for Gabriel.

Earlier in the window, Arsenal and Gabriel were clear that they didn’t want to part ways, even when Paris Saint-Germain were considering a move.

Reports suggested then that Gabriel was excited to play in the Champions League with Arsenal, and he wanted to stay at the Emirates Stadium. He’ll now get that chance.