Arsenal have tied Gabriel down to a new dealArsenal have tied Gabriel down to a new deal
Arsenal have tied Gabriel down to a new deal | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal have ticked off their first item of business for the summer when it comes to contracts.
Arsenal will turn their attention to other contract issues after agreeing a new deal with one of their most important players. It was announced on Friday that Gabriel Magalhaes had signed a new ‘long-term deal’ which is believed to be up to the summer of 2029.
Gabriel has been a key player in Mikel Arteta’s back line, alongside William Saliba, and the deal puts to bed any transfer whispers, with talk of interest abroad in the Gunners’ defenders.
Speaking after signing his deal, Gabriel told the Arsenal website: “It's an amazing club and I'm so proud to sign a new contract. I love this club, I love the fans, my teammates, I love this stadium - I'm so proud and thank you for all the support. I arrived here as a young player, and [now it’s] almost five years at this club. I'm so happy, and I've learned a lot here. I'm so proud of myself, and as well, to have worn the captain’s armband sometimes in this club.
“I think it's an amazing journey, and I'm so happy to continue this journey. I hope I win some trophies with this club, because I love this club, my family loves it. We've done a lot of good things, and now it's time to win some trophies. I want to say thank you for everything. I love the fans, and I love how they push the team. I think they are so incredible to keep pushing us every single game. We continue together for the future.”
The defender missed the last portion of the season through a knee injury, and speaking about his recovery process, he added: “I’m doing very well - it's a bit difficult for me, but I know it's time to recharge. I feel much, much better now, and I'm so excited for next season.”
Next up on the contract wishlist
Andrea Berta has been hard at work on both incoming deals and new contracts at Arsenal over recent months. Talks are ongoing with Thomas Partey over a new short-term deal, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all out of contract next summer.
But the contract priorities beyond Parte are believed to be young talents Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Nwaneri is under terms but Arsenal want to reward him with better terms to lock him down long-term and keep other clubs from sniffing around. There have been reports that the versatile youngster is not close to penning a new deal, but the Gunners will be relaxed about the situation.
The same can be said of Lewis-Skelly, who has been linked with Real Madrid of late, but Arsenal will want to give him terms that reflect his first-team importance, and they will be hoping that move keeps away the likes of Los Blancos and any other clubs. Berta must set about addressing those three contract situations over the coming weeks while also working on incoming deals.
Arsenal are able to sign players in the early window until June 10, but it doesn’t look as though any deals will go through until after that point.
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