Chelsea have now moved ahead of Everton in the race for Arsenal target Gabriel Magalhaes, according to Eurosport journalist Manu Lonjon, and the Gunners are now running out of time to make their move.
According to reports from last week, Everton had all but completed a deal to sign Gabriel from Lille, having agreed a €30 million transfer fee with the French club, while also having carried out medical checks on the 22-year-old.
Everton had just needed to carry out advanced contract negotiations with the player before officially securing his signature, however, the recent virus outbreak had put a hold on face-to-face discussions between the club and Gabriel’s representatives.
However, Everton’s failure to quickly close a deal has seen Chelsea emerge as the most likely club to sign the Brazilian now, according to Lonjon, with Arsenal’s window to take action now rapidly closing.
Chelsea’s late move for Gabriel, however, should give Arsenal hope that they could still be able to snatch the defender away from Frank Lampard’s side, with Everton having looked to have had a deal on lock before Chelsea’s intervention.
Mikel Arteta has stressed his desire to sign a centre-back this summer, and should he believe that Gabriel is the ideal target to bolster his defence, he should look to make a move with haste before another club finalises a deal to sign the Brazilian.
