Ashley Cole isn’t an adored figure in North London, to say the least, but Arsenal fans will appreciate what the Premier League icon just said.
Gone are the days when Cole could be considered an Arsenal legend, as his transfer to Chelsea in 2006 is something Gooners still haven’t forgiven.
Despite the infamous transfer happening 20 years ago, Arsenal are still impacted by Cole’s exit, watching an academy product leave to sign for a rival.
The defender was one of the Premier League’s best before and after he left N5; therefore, if there’s one time Arsenal fans will listen to him, it’s when he speaks about who the best are today.
Fill in the blank: The one Arsenal legend I would love to see play in Mikel Arteta’s current team is _______________
Ashley Cole says Arsenal have the best defender in the Premier League
In Cole’s eyes, Thierry Henry is the best Premier League player of all time, an opinion he recently doubled down on when speaking to TNT Sports.
The former left-back said Henry is the best ever, and was also asked who the best defender in the Premier League right now is.
After a moment of thought, Cole said, “Gabriel.”
The Englishman could’ve nominated William Saliba, but he went for Gabriel Magalhaes, with Arsenal spoilt for choice when it comes to having the best Premier League centre-backs.
There’s a belief that Saliba and Gabriel are the world’s best pairing, but when having to pick one, Cole went with the Brazilian.
It’s near impossible to pick between the two players, which is why it’s fantastic that Arsenal don’t have to, owning both of them for years to come.
How much Arsenal paid for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel and Saliba’s partnership was born in 2022, when the Frenchman returned from successive loan spells.
Imagine this: You can sign one of Gabriel Magalhaes or William Saliba to a lifetime Arsenal contract… Who are you picking?
At first, few would’ve predicted the impact they’d go on to have, but they’ve since proven that the money Arsenal paid for them both was a bargain beyond measure.
Arsenal spent in the region of £54m for the two players, which is remarkable when considering how much they are worth today.
According to Transfermarkt’s market value tracker, Gabriel is worth €75m today and Saliba €90m.
The good news is that both players are tied down to new contracts, so are Arsenal’s to lose for the foreseeable future.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
