All the pieces have fallen perfectly into place at Arsenal and the signings of recent years have largely been resounding swoops that have been integral in the craft and construction of a now imperious outfit that competes for the Premier League title.
The likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard are two salient examples of the shrewd movements of the Gunners hierarchy, with both attacking gems now playing central roles in manager Mikel Arteta’s fluid system.
One further signing that has gelled with conviction and authority over the past few years is Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, who arrived in north London from French Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille for roughly £23m in 2020, and despite an inconsistent start to his life in the Premier League, now stands beside Frenchman William Saliba as one of the division’s foremost defensive parternships.
The impact he has had on this Gunners team this term has been profound, and still only 25-years-old, the enforcer could cement his stature as one of English football’s very best titans over modern times.
Did Edu strike gold with Gabriel?
Hailed as a “rock” by Kevin Campbell for his unwavering strength and resolve in the defensive third, Gabriel has made 103 appearances for the Gunners and scored ten goals, which is an impressive tally for a central defender.
This season, he has played in 33 clashes across all competitions, and started all 25 of his outfit’s Premier League contests, paramount with his modernistic skill set and boasting the second-best defensive record in the league, behind only Newcastle United.
According to CIES Football Observatory, he is now worth £62m, which is nearly three times the fee paid to lure the player to the Emirates in the first place and shows that the club struck gold on him.
Such a towering figure is most impressive indeed, especially when compared to other prominent centre-backs in England; Liverpool’s 31-year-old colossus Virgil van Dijk is worth £44m, while Manchester City’s Ruben Dias is valued at £88m.
As per FBref, Gabriel ranks among the top 13% of centre-backs for non-penalty goals per 90 in Europe’s top five leagues and European competition over the past year, with the offensive precision to his rounded game imperative in providing Arsenal with an extra dimension to aid the unrelenting pursuit of the league trophy.
The £50k-per-week star’s 7.05 average league rating, via Sofascore, is an exhibit of his assurance and composure, with his superlative 89% pass success rate and 3.3 clearances per match crucial in rebuffing unwanted advances from the opposition, with Connor Humm even describing the former Brazil U23 titan as “on another level.”
Should Arsenal decide to cash in on their phenom any time soon, which, granted, is a highly unlikely proposition, then they would recuperate a mammoth sum that eclipses what was paid to land the player from his former outfit.
But regardless, his current value is a welcome reminder of the shrewd piece of business that was struck to clinch the signature of an ace now eminent among the talented crop of Europe’s best centre-backs.