Gabriel Magalhaes has become one of the most important players at Arsenal.
The Brazilian enjoyed another phenomenal season in 2025/26 and played a huge role in helping Mikel Arteta’s side win the Premier League title.
Alongside William Saliba, he has formed one of the best centre-back partnerships in world football and remains firmly in his prime years.
Gabriel is contracted until 2029 and should be a key player for years to come, but Arsenal are already planning for the future and appear to have identified a potential long-term successor – Castello Lukeba.
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Arsenal are monitoring Castello Lukeba as a long-term replacement for Gabriel Magalhaes
The best-run clubs are always thinking several years ahead.
That does not mean Arsenal are looking to replace Gabriel Magalhaes anytime soon. The Brazilian is still among the finest defenders in the world and remains absolutely crucial to everything Arteta is building.
However, there will come a time when Arsenal need to think about the next generation, and according to The Athletic, one player on their radar is RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba.
The Frenchman has established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s standout young centre-backs over the last few seasons.
At 23 years old, he already looks destined to make the jump to one of Europe’s biggest clubs in the near future.
It is easy to understand why Arsenal are interested.
Lukeba is left-footed, aggressive in duels, comfortable in possession and possesses the athleticism needed to play in a high defensive line.
In many ways, his profile is similar to Gabriel’s. That does not mean Arsenal will sign him, but they are certainly looking at the right type of player.
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Arsenal may already have a Gabriel Magalhaes replacement in-house
While there is nothing wrong with monitoring Lukeba, Arsenal should not be too worried about replacing Gabriel just yet.
The Gunners may already have two excellent long-term options at the club.
Piero Hincapie is expected to join Arsenal permanently and, although he has often been used at left-back, his best position is arguably at centre-half.
The Ecuador international has all the tools required to thrive in Gabriel’s role and could eventually become a natural successor.
Then, there is Riccardo Calafiori. Injuries have slowed his progress at times, but when fit, the Italian has shown he is more than capable of playing as a left-sided centre-back.
Arsenal are right to keep an eye on players like Lukeba, but they already have some very talented options in-house if they ever need to replace Gabriel in the future.
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