The Arsenal manager was desperate to add a left-footed central defender to his team who could play the ball out from the back. Gabriel’s style turned out to be perfect for the Spaniard’s philosophy and the Gunners paid Lille £27m for his services. It left Manchester United ruing the chance to add defensive steel to their squad in the summer.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted to strengthen his backline with a new central defender and the Brazilian was supposedly under the Red Devils’ radar too. The player’s representatives even met with Manchester United chief Ed Woodward to hold talks about a potential move. However, nothing significant emerged out of those discussions and Arsenal swooped in for the 22-year-old.
Gabriel was superb in Arsenal’s win over Manchester United
Gabriel had also generated interest from Napoli and Paris-Saint Germain, and his current form at Arsenal clearly shows why he was so highly regarded. The Brazilian has hit the ground running at the Emirates and was one of the standout performers in the 1-0 over Manchester United.
Gabriel received special praise from football pundit Jamie Redknapp after the game, who called the Brazilian the ‘real deal.’
Redknapp pointed out that Gabriel was a player the Gunners had been missing, perhaps indicating that Manchester United had missed out on a gem themselves.
The Red Devils remain interested in a central defender despite spending £80m last season on Harry Maguire. Dayot Upamecano of RB Leipzig has generated a lot of interest at Old Trafford and remains top of their wishlist. With the Frenchman’s £36m release clause set to be active next summer, Manchester United could be tempted to go all out for him.
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