Gabriel Magalhães grew up in São Paulo and began his career at Avaí in the south of Brazil. Lille signed him in 2017, and after loans at Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb, he became one of Ligue 1’s best young defenders.
Arsenal signed him in 2020 for around £27 million. He quickly became a regular and later formed one of the Premier League’s best defensive partnerships with William Saliba, helping Arsenal concede fewer goals than almost any team in the league.
Gabriel is strong in the air and one of the most dangerous defenders in Europe at set pieces, scoring regularly from corners. He has been capped by Brazil.
Playing style
Gabriel is a powerful, left-footed centre-back who is dominant in the air and aggressive in the tackle. He is one of the most dangerous defenders in Europe at set pieces, scoring regularly from corners thanks to his timing and strength. His partnership with William Saliba has been one of the foundations of Arsenal’s rise, combining Gabriel’s physicality with Saliba’s pace and composure. He is also a vocal, passionate presence who leads by example.
International career
Gabriel made his Brazil debut in 2023 and has been part of several squads since, competing for a place in a strong group of Brazilian centre-backs.
Career in numbers
Across 12 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2016/17, Gabriel has played 365 matches and scored 28 goals for 5 clubs. The 2024/25 season, with 5 goals from 42 matches for Arsenal, remains his highest tally. His busiest campaign was 2025/26, with 51 appearances. So far in 2026/27 he has made 8 appearances for Arsenal. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.