Real Madrid Eye Arsenal Rock Gabriel, but Gunners Refuse to Entertain Sale

Real Madrid have sounded out Arsenal about the availability of Brazil centre-back Gabriel Magalhães, only to be told in no uncertain terms that the Premier League leaders have no intention of selling the 28-year-old, sources have confirmed to TeamTalk.

The Spanish giants, bracing for a summer overhaul at the heart of defence, identified Gabriel as a potential solution after growing uncertainty over the futures of Antonio Rüdiger, 32, and David Alaba, 33, whose contracts are winding down. With Éder Militão struggling for fitness and Dean Huijsen still raw, Madrid view a top-tier centre-back as a priority, yet their pursuit of Gabriel appears dead on arrival.

Arsenal moved swiftly to rebuff the enquiry, stressing that Gabriel — who signed a long-term extension last summer tying him to the Emirates until 2029 — is not for sale at any price. The stance mirrors the club’s recent strategy of fending off elite suitors after similar extensions for Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, underlining a determination to keep their core intact regardless of the buyer’s pedigree.

ESPN’s Madrid correspondent Alex Kirkland notes that while Gabriel’s form has caught admiring glances inside the Bernabéu, a blockbuster fee for a 28-year-old defender would buck Real’s recent transfer trend. Under Florentino Pérez, Los Blancos have preferred bargain or free deals for experienced defenders — Rüdiger and Alaba arrived on frees — and have instead funnelled major funds toward younger galácticos such as Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and teenage prospects Endrick and Franco Mastantuona.

The club have consequently shifted focus toward defenders approaching contract crossroads, including Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté and Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, while they previously monitored Saliba before he committed to Arsenal.

For now, Gabriel remains integral to Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing side, and Madrid will have to look elsewhere as they plot a defensive rebuild ahead of next season.

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