Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he is “pretty positive” that the club can complete the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes, though insists a deal for the Brazilian has yet to be finalised.
The Gunners look to have won the race for Gabriel with the 22-year-old undergoing a medical in London earlier this week ahead of a £25million move.
Gabriel is thought to have agreed personal terms on a long-term contract with Arsenal, who saw off competition from the likes of Manchester United, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign the Lille centre-back.
However, Arteta insists that the transfer is not complete just yet.
“Regarding Gabriel, we cannot announce anything yet, the deal is not finalised – you all know he is a player that we have followed for a long time and hopefully we can get it done,” he said at a Zoom press conference held in advance of Saturday's Community Shield clash against Premier League champions Liverpool at Wembley.
Pressed if everything was okay with regards to the deal, Arteta added: “Well, everything is okay when both parties sign, and the player agrees the terms and he goes through the medical – sometimes that, in the final stages, is not as easy as it looks. But we are pretty positive that we can do it.
“Again, when we get it I will be very pleased. He's a player that we've followed and we're very determined that it was the right profile for us to improve our squad. If we are able to finalise it, we will be delighted.”
SEE ALSO | Barcelona Threaten Lionel Messi With £631m Release Clause Or Stay Put
Asked again later about Gabriel during Thursday's media call, Arteta simply said: “We are trying to finalise a deal. That's what I can tell you at the moment.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
