Man Utd, Arsenal still ‘alive’ in defender hunt as €20m Prem bid rejected
Premier League sides look set to miss out on the signing of Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, according to reports.
Gabriel has risen to prominence this season by helping Lille to a fourth-placed finish in Ligue 1. The Brazilian defender featured in 24 out of 28 league games.
Thanks to his impressive form, several clubs have been queuing up to try and sign him. Premier League trio Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton are among the interested parties.
However, the latter have now seen a bid rejected, according to Sky Sport Italia‘s Gianluca Di Marzio. That’s because Lille have a “gentleman’s agreement” to sell him to Napoli.
The Serie A side believe they will be selling Kalidou Koulibaly this summer. The Senegal centre-back has given them six years of service, but Napoli feel now may be the best time to cash in.
Manchester United have recently rejoined the race for Koulibaly. They join rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in the pursuit – even though the latter are yet to make an offer, according to the latest updates.
Should Koulibaly move on, then the Serie A side will seek to replace him with Gabriel Magalhaes.
Di Marzio claims Napoli will make their move for Gabriel only if they sell Koulibaly. However, should that transfer saga drag on, then Lille could still offload him elsewhere.
Indeed, despite Everton having a €20m bid rejected, Di Marzio says Arsenal and Man Utd are still “alive” in the battle for the Brazilian.
Napoli face Gabriel deadline?
Elsewhere on Sky Sport Italia, reports suggest Lille will actually only give Napoli a few days to decide whether they are bidding or not. Therefore, the Italians must resolve Koulibaly’s future soon, or they risk a Premier League rival swooping in for Gabriel.
Recent reports suggested he would make a decision on his next club this week. If any club meets his €30m price tag, Lille will let him choose his next destination.
However, Manchester United’s interest may have cooled. According to recent reports, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is willing to be patient with Eric Bailly amid his return from injury instead.
