Arsenal: 4 inexpensive center-back options to partner William Saliba

1. Gabriel Magalhaes

Gabriel dos Santos Magalhaes, better known as Gabriel, has nearly overtaken Dayot Upamecano in the hearts and hopes of Arsenal fans, something I never thought I could possibly say about anyone. But from what I’ve seen, he’s completely deserving.

Gabriel and Upamecano are very similar players. They’re young, fast, positionally and tactically flexible, and talented as hell. There are two key differences though. The first of those is their preferred foot—in fact, the only reason I actually like Gabriel better than his French counterpart is the fact that he’s left-footed.

But the second difference is far more telling, and it boils down to style of play. Whereas Upamecano appears to float above the game, with calm composure his defining attribute, Gabriel can be found in the heart of every challenge, fighting, scrapping, and winning. And I cannot think of a better attribute for a partner to William Saliba.

That’s not to say he’s prone to be cautioned. He spread his 6 yellow cards over 3000 minutes of play, only earning three in league play, an impressive record. He also completes a whopping 95% of his passes per game and has a penchant for a stellar long pass. He’s fantastic in every area of play, and for £20-£25 million less than Upamecano, is a steal to boot.

This is a rare occasion where there is literally no downside to signing a player. We also understand that the Brazilian is interested in a move to North London. So let’s not make the Hakim Ziyech mistake. Sign him up, before it’s too late. But if not Gabriel, consider the other three options as reasonable replacements. All are capable defenders, and each and every single one has the ability to make a difference to this club.