GMS Exclusive: Riyadh Victory plans to introduce Arsenal defender Gabriel this summer and intends to offer an annual salary of 20 million euros

According to an exclusive report by GMS transfer reporter Ben Jacobs on Tuesday, Riyadh Victory is interested in signing Arsenal defender Gabriel this summer and has made initial contact with the player.

Gabriel, 27, mainly plays as a central defender and made his professional debut for his parent club Avai on January 31, 2016. He then played for Lille, Troyes, Dinamo Zagreb and other teams, and transferred to Arsenal for 26 million euros in September 2020.

To date, Gabriel has made 209 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 20 goals and providing 2 assists, winning the 2023/24 Community Shield. He has also played 13 times for the Brazilian national team, contributing 1 goal.

Gabriel's contract with Arsenal will last until June 2027. In order to attract Gabriel to join, Riyadh Victory plans to offer him a tax-free annual salary of about 20 million euros, which is three times the player's current salary.

Riyadh Victory is also keeping an eye on Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma and West Ham United's Mohamed Kudus, and has listed Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez as one of its potential signing targets. The team made an offer to Nunez in January this year, but it is still unclear whether it will re-purchasing him this summer.

Arsenal are committed to keeping Gabriel, with new sporting director Andrea Berta leading the negotiations. If a transfer is inevitable, Arsenal value him at at least 100 million euros.

As for Gabriel, Ben Jacobs said he is still focused on finishing the season at Arsenal and competing in the Champions League. However, the Brazilian did not rule out the possibility of moving to Saudi Arabia in the future.

Arsenal's summer transfer plans revealed

Ben Jacobs then detailed Arsenal's transfer plan for this summer in his article, and pointed out that the Gunners will seek to introduce a defensive midfielder, a center forward, a left winger, a left back and a backup goalkeeper. In the defensive midfielder position, Arsenal is paying attention to Martin Zubermendi of Real Sociedad and Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United. In terms of center forward, their recruitment targets include Alexander Isak of Newcastle and Benjamin Cesco of RB Leipzig.

For the left wing, Arsenal has set its sights on Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao and Mateus Cunha of Wolves. As for the backup goalkeeper, Spanish Juan Garcia is listed as one of the potential candidates.

Arsenal will also start contract extension negotiations with Bukayo Saka, with the current contract between the two parties valid until June 2027.