Arsenal have completed the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille.
The news was confirmed in a unique way, with the defender joining fellow Brazilians David Luiz and Willian on a Facebook Live video call.
Arsenal had teased the video with Willian and David Luiz, saying they would be joined by one other special guest, with many Gunners supporters speculating it would be Gabriel.
And true to form that is exactly how it happened, with Luiz saying on the FB Live: "Yes. There he is, he even has the shirt already, it is official."
Gabriel was in demand, with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea linked with signing him, but the 22-year-old has chosen the Emirates, penning a long-term deal at the club.
He will wear the number six shirt.
Speaking about the deal, technical director Edu said: “We are delighted to have signed Gabriel. He is a player we have been studying for a while and he was in demand from many clubs, so we are proud to have agreed and completed this transfer with Lille and the player. Gabriel is a player of high quality and Mikel and his coaches are looking forward to integrating him into the club.”
Head coach Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, said: “We welcome Gabriel to Arsenal. He has many qualities which will make us stronger as a defensive unit and as a team. He has proved with Lille that he is a defender with many outstanding attributes and we are looking forward to watching him grow as an Arsenal player.”
