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Arsenal's new center-back signing Gabriel Magalhaes revealed in an interview with ESPN Brasil that he looks up to his Liverpool counterpart Virgil van Dijk.
The 22-year-old has been a fixture in Arsenal's first team after signing for them in a £25 million deal over the summer. The Brazilian has made 7 appearances for the Gunners so far this season, playing the full 90 minutes in each of their 5 Premier League games.
“It is a great league, with the best players in the world," Gabriel said of the Premier League.
"One defender I admired a lot and was able to play against was [Virgil] van Dijk. Also playing against Manchester City… we lost the game, but I was able to learn too. When you play against big teams, you learn, you try to reap the best things you have done on the pitch," he said.
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Arsenal have made an inconsistent start to the season
Arsenal's fortunes under Mikel Arteta have been up and down so far this season. While they have defeated teams like Fulham, West Ham and Sheffield United in the league, they have lost all three meetings against big teams like Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester City.
The Mesut Ozil situation has also contributed to instability off the field. The German playmaker spoke out after being left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads, forcing manager Mikel Arteta to defend his decision.
"What I can tell you [is] that I tried my best, I tried to give him [Mesut Ozil] as many opportunities as I could. And that from my own side, I've been patient, given him opportunities and been fair," said Arteta.
"He's a player that belongs to the football club, he's been a really important player in the last few seasons. I have to respect that, I'm here to make decisions, the best decisions for the team and for the club," claimed the Spaniard.
Arsenal travel to Old Trafford next to take on Manchester United this weekend. Solskjaer's men have been inconsistent so far as well, enduring a torrid start to the season which included a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham. However, they turned their fortunes around with high profile wins against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
