Arsenal count their blessings after Saudi ‘meeting’ as Edu Successfully convinced £90 million valued Brazilian Star to sign Arsenal deal at the end of this season

Arsenal will be thanking their lucky stars that they kept Gabriel Magalhaes despite interest from the Saudi Pro League last summer. And now they are reportedly keen to reward the Brazilian with a new contract, as sporting director Edu puts things in place to secure the long-term future of another key player.

The reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad showed a serious interest in Gabriel last year. Reports in the Middle East suggested that the president of the Saudi federation even went as far as to hold a meeting with the Arsenal defender.

But the financial lure of going to Saudi Arabia was not enough to lure Gabriel away from the Emirates Stadium. And he has made great strides this season, forming a formidable center-back pairing with William Saliba.

Although Gabriel signed a long-term contract extension at the end of 2022, The Daily Mail claims Arsenal are trying to negotiate new terms in the hope of alerting potential suitors.

Talks are believed to be at an early stage, with the club’s full focus on the Premier League title, but they are expected to intensify during the summer transfer window.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Saliba have all signed new contracts in recent months. And it shouldn’t be too difficult to convince others to stay put given Arsenal’s significant improvement since Arteta took over in 2019.

Arsenal took a gamble on Gabriel after just one season of regular Ligue 1 football with Lille. The decision has paid off hugely, with the 26-year-old now one of the best defenders in the Premier League.

Gabriel has started 30 of Arsenal’s 34 league games this season, with two more appearances coming from the substitutes’ bench. And his physical presence in defense could prove crucial in the final four games of the season.

The Gunners are one point ahead of Manchester City with four games to play, although they have played one more game than Pep Guardiola’s side. Gabriel and his teammates are out to avenge last season’s painful capitulation, when they opened the door for City to catch up, overtake and finally win their third straight title.

Next up is a short trip to local rivals Tottenham, who would like nothing more than to ruin Arsenal’s chances of winning a first Premier League title in two decades.