Fabrizio Romano reveals Arsenal stance on sale of ‘leader’ amid Barcelona, PSG transfer rumours

Arsenal have no plans to sell Gabriel Magalhaes any time soon amid speculation linking him with PSG and Barcelona, while Fabrizio Romano has also come clean on speculation the Brazil defender is set to be offered a new deal at Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old has formed a rock-solid partnership with William Saliba at the heart of the Arsenal defence, which has so far only been breached once in five games this season and has kept four clean sheets along the way. And while the Gunners were indebted to goalkeeper David Raya for a remarkable double save to keep out Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui’s penalty and headed follow-up in the Champions League on Thursday, much of the praise this season has been reserved for their central defensive axis.

Indeed, Mikel Arteta will hope that fine form will continue on Sunday in what will be the toughest test of them all when they come up against four-time reigning champions Manchester City and their formidable centre forward Erling Haaland.

But in recent days it has been claimed that Arsenal could face a battle to retain Gabriel’s services amid claims Barcelona and Bayern Munich are both huge admirers of his and with PSG also dispatching scouts to make regular checks on his performances.

However, Romano insists Arsenal have no plans to let Gabriel leave, while also providing an update on claims the Gunners will move to offer him a significant pay rise on a deal that is due to expire in 2027.

“There are always many rumours on the market and one of the most important defenders around Europe is always in the news because of his fantastic performances,” Romano told Caught Offside.

“He already has 15 Premier League goals and scored one more crucial goal in the North London Derby against Tottenham. Gabriel Magalhaes is a leader on and off the pitch, a really important player in the dressing room.

“We’re hearing many rumours about Gabriel because of the stories about his contract extension, but what I can guarantee now is that nothing is close or imminent.”

READ MORE: Arsenal respond after PSG scout TWO imperious Gunners stars in Tottenham win

Romano claims Arsenal are ‘preparing’ new Gabriel deal

Romano continued: “He remains a crucial player for the Gunners and remember, Arsenal rejected a very important approach from Saudi one year ago.

“Arsenal will take the time to prepare a new contract proposal to discuss with Gabriel at the right moment. Nothing is going on right now, but for sure, he’s part of the future planning for Arsenal.”

Arteta is also thrilled by the performances of both Gabriel and Saliba in the heart of their defence but admits they face the toughest test of all when they try to shut out Haaland.

“They are in a great moment and have been very, very consistent for the past two seasons together. There is an unbelievable chemistry there and you can sense it. They have both been exceptional,” Arteta said.

“When you see the stats and the number of goals that Haaland scores then you can tell that he is one of the main sources. We always look at the individuals and the strengths that they have and how we can nullify that. We need to stop him from scoring.”

Arsenal eye Atalanta star; pundit names UCL star Arteta ‘would love to sign’

The Gunners, meanwhile, may have brought in Raheem Sterling over the summer but speculation continues to link Arsenal with alternative wing options ahead of the 2025 windows.

And one name that has again been linked is Atalanta’s English winger Ademola Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final and has generally been in superb form for the Italian side since moving to Serie A.

Indeed, with 33 goals and 19 assists to his name from 81 appearances, he boasts a goal contribution every 1.55 appearances.

However, competition for the 26-year-old is looking tough, with a lofty price tag on his head and with two other Premier League sides keen.

TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves, meanwhile, claims Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz is one player that Arteta would love to bring to Emirates Stadium.

Rated as one of German football’s hottest talents, the player is rated at a staggering €150m (£126m, $167.8m) by the Bundesliga champions.

Gabriel and Saliba: stats show they are a formidable pairing

The brilliant form of Saliba and Gabriel has been the bedrock from which Arsenal’s last two title challenges have been formed with the duo forming a solid bond at the heart of the defence.

Between them, they are excelling across all metrics, with last season’s stats showing Gabriel leading the way with aerial duels won, interceptions, shots blocked and the goal threat he also poses at the other end of the field.

Saliba, meanwhile, has a better pass success rate, and it’s fair to say the two men are now rightly regarded as one, if not the best central defensive partnerships in world football right now.