BREAKING: Arsenal confirm the signing of defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille on long-term contract.

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Gabriel Magalhães from Lille for £27m on a five-year contract, bringing their pursuit of the centre-back to a successful end.

Gabriel agreed to join Mikel Arteta’s side 10 days ago and from that point his arrival was in little doubt. He has been in enforced quarantine since flying to London from France on 24 August, a situation that has six days to run under the government’s Covid-19 rules, but signed his contract last week and will be expected to slot into a new-look backline.

🇧🇷 Welcome to The Arsenal, @biel_m04! 👋 pic.twitter.com/xT1idCej8r

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 1, 2020

Magalhaes was a dominant presence in Lille's central defensive unit last season, playing 2,087 minutes of Ligue 1 football.

He is characterised by being extremely difficult to pass, as represented by his tackle and duel success rate, as well as aerial duels won.

Gabriel goes alongside another Ligue 1 addition, William Saliba, who arrived from St Etienne last month, and he will compete with David Luiz for a starting berth at the heart of Arsenal's back line.