ARSENAL are making moves like never before in this summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta has ripped up his midfield with the acquisitions of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard for a combined £66m, added a No.2 in Kepa Arrizabalaga for £5m and invested in more depth on the wings with the £52m signing of Noni Madueke.
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Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres is expected to join up with the Gunners on their tour of Singapore in a £63.5m deal, as is £13m-rated Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, while Crystal Palace’s £60m-rated Eberechi Eze remains a top target.
No one in this Arsenal squad is safe from being usurped or replaced in their bid to win a first Prem title since 2004, with a few exceptions – and one of those is Brazilian defender Gabriel.
Among a host of game-changing signings, the 27-year-old’s new contract – signed last month to keep him in North London until 2029 – was mighty high on the priority list of boss Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta this summer.
Gabriel has become the bedrock, the foundation, of Arsenal’s success and progress over the past few years, forming an elite and imposing centre-back partnership with William Saliba – one that is the envy of the continent and the Prem.
His set-piece prowess has added another dimension to Arteta’s increasingly adaptable machine.
No defender has scored more goals from corners since he arrived at the Emirates in September 2020, and he is desperate to keep adding to his current tally of 20 goals in all competitions for the club.
On and off the pitch, alongside skipper Martin Odegaard, he has transformed into a leader of men.
So, for all the upheaval in Arsenal’s starting XI this summer, securing Gabriel’s future was of the utmost importance, especially with Saudi clubs sniffing around over the past few windows.
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Asked about Saudi speculation and a reported offer before signing a new deal, Gabriel explained: “I didn’t hear about anything personally, I didn’t receive offers.
“A lot of people like to say things on the internet. I am focused on Arsenal. That is why I signed the contract that I signed and I am focused on the club.
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Inside Arsenal’s frustrating striker transfer saga
By Jordan Davies
ARSENAL’S never-ending hunt for a world-class striker is in turmoil as deals for Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres stall.
The Gunners were confident of doing their business quickly this summer after months of preparation by boss Mikel Arteta and new sporting director Andrea Berta.
But inflated asking prices and broken gentlemen’s agreements have derailed those plans and left Arsenal frustrated.
Sesko believed he would be allowed to leave RB Leipzig for around £60million, while SunSport understands Gyokeres was told £59m would be enough to seal his own exit.
But those price-tags have gone up, leaving Arsenal debating whether they represent value for money.
While the players’ camps are also growing restless, knowing the Gunners can only sign one of them.
So what next? Will Arsenal keep waiting in the hope of fees eventually going down? Or turn to other targets, like Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike?
Whatever they decide, with pre-season looming and the fixtures already out, Arteta will be desperate for them to move quickly to avoid another nearly season.
“We can’t focus on internet rumours. I didn’t lose my focus at any point in time. I am very focused on Arsenal and I have goals to achieve here.
“I have grown a lot on and off the pitch. I worked even harder. I have grown because of the help of my teammates and the manager.
“I feel like I am on a good level and I would like to continue with this spirit that I have and this direction I am going in.
“There are always things to improve no matter what you do. I try to stay at my level and keep doing what I’ve been doing to improve.
“One thing I’ve improved is my leadership on the pitch, and also focusing on tactics and things like that.”
Upon signing his deal, Gabriel made clear what the next steps need to be, explaining: “I hope I win some trophies here, it is time, because I love this club, my family loves it.”
It is why the club’s busy and efficient business in the market has given him an extra boost – he is enthusiastic about the future and what new blood can give to this group with memories of falling short in the Prem and Champions League in recent years still fresh and raw.
Should everything go to plan, Arsenal will have spent over £200m on new recruits – a message sent to title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City that they will not be going away.
Gabriel continued: “Definitely it excites me. We want to have the best players, to be in the dispute for titles you have to have the best players.
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ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest rumours from the Emirates
“We’re really happy with the players here and happy with the signings. The players that came will help us out a lot. The club is doing what is best for the players and the manager.
“But we have to focus on what we can do out on the pitch. The players that are here are doing that. We are strong and we are getting stronger with these new players.
“When a new player comes to the team, I always tell them to really focus and adapt quickly.
“They have already adapted. They are already gelling with us and I think that this year we can achieve great things, good titles.
“We think the club are on the right track to do everything correctly.”
Gabriel remains tight-lipped on potentially playing alongside Gyokeres in an Arsenal shirt, having teased the Swede in a 5-1 Champions League stuffing of Sporting in November last term by imitating the goal-hungry striker’s face-mask celebration.
He smiled: “We all know [Gyokeres] is a great player. Playing against him last year was a challenge, he is great and had a great season. About the celebration, it is something I can’t talk about right now.”
Hamstring surgery in April cut short Gabriel’s end to last term, failing to feature in 30 or more Prem games for the first time since his debut season in England.
But following a rapid recovery, he is hopeful of playing alongside some of his new teammates in Singapore this week with a clash against AC Milan on Wednesday before facing Eddie Howe’s Newcastle on Sunday.
Gabriel added: “I am improving a lot. I already feel really good. I have been training really hard with the group already.
“The season is going to be full of challenges but I already feel good to hit the grounding running and play.”
For tickets to watch Arsenal take on AC Milan and Newcastle at the Singapore National Stadium, please visit https://premier.ticketek.com.sg/shows
