Gabriel Magalhaes has signed a new five-year deal with Arsenal in what the Gunners hope is the first of multiple long-term contract renewals.
The Brazilian centre-back, who joined Arsenal from Lille in the summer of 2020 for a fee worth £27million, has committed his future to the Emirates Stadium until 2027. But Gabriel, 24, won't be the only Gunner to extend his stay in north London if club chiefs such as technical director Edu Gaspar get their way.
Negotiations are well underway to hand French defender William Saliba a new deal, while forward Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are also understood to be high on Arsenal's list of priorities when it comes to new contracts. Manager Mikel Arteta put pen to paper on fresh terms in May, signalling a serious degree of faith from the Emirates boardroom which has since showed promising signs of paying off.
The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League table after 10 games and their mean defence - currently second-best in the division - has helped significantly. Gabriel has been central to Arteta and co's sturdy rearguard, explaining why his boss was so keen to retain his services - despite already having a deal which ran for another two years. And both Arteta and Edu shared their delight after getting the deal done.
"Gabi has shown huge qualities since he joined us. He is a young player with a great work ethic and his consistent strong performances have been hugely important to us over the past two seasons," Arteta told the Gunners' website. "Working with Gabi every day is a pleasure, he has formed strong relationships with everyone at the club and we’re so pleased that he has committed to us on a long-term contract."
Edu added: "It's great that we've agreed a new deal with Gabi. At 24, he's still a young player and is part of our future. His performances since he joined us in 2020 have been very strong and his positive impact to our results have been clear for everyone to see.
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"He has grown so much on and off the pitch, with both his contribution and communication on and off the pitch. We all look forward to see Gabi continue to grow as an important part of our club."
The man himself described signing his new deal as 'the best day of his life'. "I'm very happy to sign this new contract with Arsenal, because it's such a big club," Gabriel beamed. "It's my dream and today is the best day of my life. I'm so happy to extend my contract here.
"Every game the supporters are pushing the team in the stadium. It's why I'm so happy to stay here. Arsenal is my home. In the future, I want to win games for Arsenal, I want to win trophies with Arsenal and stay here for a long time because it's my home."
