Gabriel Magalhães

Before N5

Born in São Paulo, Gabriel came through at Avaí in southern Brazil, a long way from the production lines of the big Paulista clubs. Lille brought him to Europe in 2017 and promptly loaned him to Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb while he adjusted. The breakthrough came in 2019/20, when he was the cornerstone of a Lille defence good enough to attract half of Europe. Arsenal won the race in September 2020, paying around £23m.

The Arsenal chapter

Gabriel scored on his debut at Fulham and has never really stopped imposing himself since. The partnership with Saliba, formed in 2022, matured into the division's standard-setter, and the near-post corner routine became one of Arsenal's great pressure points. When the title was sealed, nobody had earned the noise more.

How he plays

Gabriel is the aggressor of the pair: front-foot, physical, happiest when the game is a fight. He attacks the ball early, wins the first contact, and defends the left channel against the league's quickest wingers without fuss. At attacking corners he is the primary threat; at defensive ones, the first head on everything. The theatre is real, but so is the consistency.

Timeline

• 1997Born in São Paulo; comes through at Avaí
• 2017Moves to Lille; loans at Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb
• 2020Signs for Arsenal for around £23m, scores on debut
• 2022The Saliba partnership begins; the defence transforms
• 2026Title-winning defensive partnership with Saliba