Arsenal rejected £100 million Saudi Arabia offer for key player Arteta was ‘keen to keep hold of’

The latest transfer window provided a whirlwind few months but following Deadline Day, the action is now on ice until January. One of the biggest talking points of the summer was Saudi Arabia and the relentless recruitment drive that saw a large amount of Premier League players join the Pro League in eye-watering money moves.

Jordan Henderson, N’Golo Kanté, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin were just a handful of big names who left England’s top flight to try their hand in the SPL this season. Fortunately for Arsenal, they managed to avoid losing any key players to Saudi clubs but they definitely tried their hand.

Football Insider has revealed that Gunners defender Gabriel Magalhães was linked with a £100 million move to the Pro League and interest ‘was believed to be genuine.’ However, Mikel Arteta ‘was keen to keep hold of’ the Brazilian and any potential deal was shut down.

Gabriel joined Arsenal in 2020 from Lille and after his debut season, he established himself as a key part of the first team. Apart from three matches at the start of the 2021/22 term that he missed through injury, Gabriel started every single Premier League fixture and contributed five goals for good measure as well. The 25-year-old was an ever-present figure last season as well, starting every single league match in Arsenal’s title challenge.

He has since fallen down the pecking order under Arteta as the team have recruited over recent windows to bolster their defence. Gabriel played just 24 minutes across the first two games of the season before being left on the bench against Fulham, although he did start and play the full 90 minutes last time out to face Manchester United. Based on the manager’s firm ‘no sale’ stance though, Gabriel still clearly has a future at the Emirates