ESPN states that Chelsea are very close to announcing the transfer of Gabriel Magalhaes from LOSC Lille.
Arsenal and Everton had registered interest in the 21-year-old but the Blues got ahead of them in the transfer race amidst the global pandemic.
Gabriel has impressed many with his performances in Ligue 1 this season. After a couple of loan spells, he has emerged as an instrumental piece in this Lille side, having made 34 appearances this term. He is still developing but the potential that he has shown is worthy of a Premier League callup.
Chelsea are not the most dominant defensively. They have conceded 39 goals in the league this season and are still figuring out their best centre-back setup. While Antonio Rudiger is the natural leader in the squad, there has been a toss-up on who his centre-back partner should be. The likes of Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori and Andreas Christensen have all received a fair share of opportunities but none of them have laid claim to the starting spot.
Gabriel’s strength, physicality and keen tackling sense will allow him to adapt in both a three-man or a traditional defensive setup. He is also capable of distributing the ball from the back, as is needed in top defenders these days. Signing him for just over £30m could be a steal in the long-term.
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