Gabriel Magalhaes actually played a key role in helping Arsenal to renew William Saliba’s contract in the summer amid interest from Real Madrid.
Arsenal did a lot of great business in the summer; however, the best thing they did for sure was tying Saliba down to a new contract.
Back in September, the 24-year-old signed a new deal at the Emirates Stadium, securing his future until at least 2030.
Imagine this: You can sign one of Gabriel Magalhaes or William Saliba to a lifetime Arsenal contract… Who are you picking?
The French international has undoubtedly been one of the Gunners’ best performers this season and continued to forge the best defensive partnership in Europe with Gabriel.
Now, following his stellar performance against Aston Villa, further details have emerged on how the North London club convinced him to reject Madrid for N5.
Gabriel Magalhaes helped convince William Saliba to stay at Arsenal
Gabriel Magalhaes helped to convince William Saliba to sign a new contract with Arsenal during the summer, according to Hand of Arsenal.
If Arsenal are to stand any chance of winning a first title in 21 years, then Saliba and Gabriel are likely to be key members of the squad.
Saliba had strong interest from Real Madrid, but instead, he opted to reject their advances to cement his own legacy at Arsenal.
From Arsenal’s best defenders: Start two, bench two…
The Frenchman also held talks with Mikel Arteta about his plans for helping the Gunners finally secure silverware, and this season the team looks well on course to win.
Los Blancos did everything possible in a bid to bring Saliba to the Santiago Bernabeu, but the defender committed his future to Arsenal.
Against Villa, Saliba won four of his six duels, made one interception, one clearance and one tackle as the away side had just one shot on target.
Danny Murphy hails William Saliba’s block vs Aston Villa
In the first half, Saliba produced a block which was as good as a goal to deny Morgan Rogers a tap-in at the back post.
Danny Murphy told BBC MOTD that there is no better player in one-versus-one situations than the French defender: “There’s none better really than Saliba.
“When he’s on top of his game, right position again, he’s got the athleticism and pace, calm, no danger.
“That’s what you get when you get those two together. You get the athleticism, the calmness and the fear factor. I think it gives them a great platform to really go after teams and, of course, the game they lost at Villa.”
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