Reports: Arsenal ramp up their chase for Manchester United target Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal are reportedly stepping up their chase for Ligue 1 star Gabriel Magalhaes ahead of a summer transfer, as per reports. The Brazilian, who is also being eyed by Manchester United, is set to make his decision shortly.

Both Arsenal and Manchester United are in the market for defensive reinforcements this summer after underwhelming seasons at the back. The Gunners, in particular, suffered terribly and lacked reassuring defensive figures in their backline.

10 - Arsenal have lost 10 league matches for a third consecutive season for the first time since a run of seven between 1981/82 and 1987/88. Testing. #AVLARS pic.twitter.com/ZbRA78cYzO

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 21, 2020

Manchester United, on the other hand, are on the lookout for a defensive partner for Harry Maguire, with both Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly facing their fair share of issues either with inconsistencies or injuries.

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Arsenal and Manchester United target Gabriel set to make decision on future

Gabriel (R) in action during the Champions League

Arsenal have ramped up their interest in Gabriel, reportedly their priority target for a left-footed centre-half, as Mikel Arteta hopes to bolster his backline ahead of next season. Football London report that Arsenal are keen to fend off Manchester United and Napoli for his services.

Lille president Gerard Lopez also addressed his star player's future amidst interest from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal, saying;

"We clearly told him what our expectations were, we spoke to a number of clubs, our expectations were met by a number of clubs and we have given him the time to decide. It is going to be entirely his decision. We tend to try and steer our players in certain directions, but at the end of the day it’s the player’s decision. I know he is going to make a decision early next week."

Napoli also battled Arsenal for Pepe last summer

Napoli, who have competed with Arsenal over the signings of players such as Nicolas Pepe and Lucas Torreira, are also hopeful of signing the Brazilian. The Partonopei were optimistic of wrapping up a deal for Gabriel along with his teammate and now-Napoli player Victor Osimhen. However, they have to part ways with Kalidou Koulibaly to step up their offer for the Lille man.

Arsenal were in the market for a left-footed defender in the winter and extensively scouted the 22-year-old, only to go on and sign Spanish defender Pablo Mari instead for £8m. Now, they face competition for the £25m man and hope to add to strengthen their defence with Gabriel.

The Gunners currently have the likes of David Luiz, Sokratis, and a host of other centre-backs at their disposal, but are expected to part ways with a few of them as part of a revamp. They are also set to be strengthened by the arrival of William Saliba.

Manchester United, on the other hand, are said to be explicitly looking at defensive targets with enough recovery pace while defending counter-attacks. Bailly has proven to be anything but reliable over the course of a 50-60 game season, given his poor injury record.

Lindelof, the preferred partner for Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire, has been prone to lapses in concentration on more than one occasion. The Swede was at fault for Sevilla's winner against Manchester United in their Europa League semi-final.

It remains to be seen which club Gabriel picks ahead of the 2020/21 season, with several clubs lining up a move for the Brazilian.

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