Arsenal F.C. is determined to address the club's defensive needs but cannot move forward until two players decide on their future. The Gunners are strongly linked to Gabriel Magalhaes of Lille OSC since they were able to pitch an acceptable offer. Also, Arsenal is awaiting the final decision of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on whether he will stay or leave Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners emerged as one of the favorites to land Magalhaes but face competition in S.S.C. Napoli. From four teams, it has now come down to two.
The others previously in the race for the Brazilian defender were Manchester United and Everton. Untied has opted to focus on someone else while Everton fell short of meeting the asking fee of Lille. Regardless, the final say will be on Magalhaes and Lille will not stand in the way.
“We spoke to a number of clubs, our expectations were met by a number of clubs and we have given him [Gabriel] the time to decide," Lopez said to Sky Sports. “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."
Once Magalhaes announces his decision, the focus will shift on Aubameyang. The Gabon may have shown some clues on social media recently, most presuming that he will stay on with the Gunners. But until an official announcement is made, anything can still happen. This is expected to be revealed in the coming days.
Until that time comes, Mikel Arteta will be sitting on pins and needles. There is no denying he would love to get these things settled so he can move on to other targets. He is unable to figure that out now since he needs to juggle the team's finances by identifying who to keep and who to let go.
Other players on Arsenal's radar include Malang Sarr and Axel Disasi. Depending on how much budget Arteta still has at his disposal, he could go for both, either or even none. The signing of Willian Borges da Silva is also expected to factor in. With a hefty investment made on the Brazilian who last played for Chelsea F.C., the Gunners' budget may be growing thinner. Hence, Arteta will need to deal away some players to gain more flexibility.
Hence, it will be touch and go for Arsenal from here. If they get Magalhaes and secure Aubameyang, there will be players that need to be let go. The only question now is who these players will be.
