Gabriel Magalhaes did something ‘pretty unheard of’ before joining Arsenal

Add as preferred source on Google

Gabriel Magalhaes is one of the best defenders in the world right now, but what was life like for the Brazilian before Arsenal?

It’s difficult to imagine Arsenal without Gabriel, who has been at the club since 2020, arriving from LOSC Lille for just £27m.

Signed as a fairly unknown player who was yet to be capped by Brazil, Gabriel is now considered to be unstoppable, being one of the first names on Mikel Arteta’s teamsheet.

Arsenal fans are running out of adjectives to describe the centre-back, which was largely the case for those at Lille before his departure.

• READ MORE: Gabriel Magalhaes reveals his honest thoughts on Arsenal’s set-piece obsession

Gabriel Magalhaes was one of the best before he even signed for Arsenal

There was never a question about Gabriel’s ability; however, in his early days at Arsenal, few would’ve expected the 27-year-old to become what he has.

Now arguably Arsenal and Brazil’s best centre-back, there’s no stopping the defender, but attackers in France already knew that.

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2020, just before Gabriel’s move to Arsenal, Lille’s former president, Gerard Lopez, gave an insight into the level the Brazilian was performing at. 

“I feel he is among the top five dominant central defenders in Europe right now,” Lopez said.

“His statistics, which aren’t well covered outside of France, show that his percentage for winning duels is pretty unheard of in a league that’s extremely physical.” 

The French side will be watching what Gabriel is doing now at Arsenal completely unsurprised, as the player’s potential was recognised before the Premier League realised the calibre of defender it would receive.

Now, Gabriel is considered to be one of the best in the world, not only for his no-nonsense approach at the back, but for his goalscoring ability, too.

Gabriel’s scoring record before joining Arsenal

While Lille won’t be shocked by the level Gabriel is producing in North London, they probably wouldn’t have anticipated his goalscoring form.

During his two-and-a-half-year association with the French club, Gabriel only got on the scoresheet twice in 52 appearances.

Things couldn’t be more different at Arsenal, as the Brazilian has scored 22 times in 222 appearances so far, a number that, at this rate, is expected to rise quite significantly.

There are few defenders in world football as potent as Gabriel right now, something Arsenal are absolutely relishing as their set-piece mastery continues.