Arsenal icon now claims £24m defender is actually more important than William Saliba
Former Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell recently expressed his opinions on Gabriel Magalhaes‘ performance throughout the season under Mikel Arteta.
Campbell, featured on the ‘Highbury Squad’ podcast, started by delving into the reasons behind Gabriel’s early-season rotations.
Gabriel Magalhaes frequently found himself on the sidelines in favor of Jakub Kiwior, sparking speculation about transfer-related reasons.
Despite this, Campbell asserted that the decision was a tactical strategy. As the season progressed, it became evident that Gabriel’s role in the Arsenal back four could be more pivotal than that of William Saliba.
Campbell said: “But also, he [Gabriel] allows and this is why I believe, he was kind of rested a bit at the start of the season, he allows Zinchenko to join in.
“What tends to normally happen is if a player leaves the back four and goes up, somebody will go in his spot. They don’t need to. Gabriel will handle all of that left-hand side, centre-back to left-back when Zinchenko goes inside.
“But because he wasn’t there, that’s why you had Saliba on the left-hand side, you had Ben White, and that’s why Thomas Partey played there because Mikel Arteta wanted the inverted one to go from the right-hand side earlier on in the season.
“But as soon as Zinchenko was fit, we still needed to use Gabriel. Gabriel for me is the glue. People think Saliba’s the glue, no, Saliba is the Rolls-Royce.”
Kevin Campbell suggests Gabriel Magalhaes is a little understated at Arsenal
Certainly, Campbell made it clear that he wasn’t implying an overstatement of William Saliba’s role.
Rather, he was emphasizing the significance of both components in Arsenal’s central defensive partnership.
Saliba often takes the spotlight, but Gabriel plays a crucial role too. With Declan Rice positioned in front of them during the Brentford match, Arsenal seemed to possess a formidable core in their team.
Despite recent challenges in creativity, there’s a solid foundation for improvement. Arsenal has tightened their defense, eliminating unnecessary goals and simplifying the path to victory.
The club is now rumored to pursue impressive targets in the upcoming summer transfer window, possibly considering a record-breaking £120 million deal.
Campbell rightly highlights the significance of Gabriel, a £24 million acquisition, allowing Arsenal to concentrate on bolstering their offensive options.
With exciting prospects on the horizon, Mikel Arteta’s project at Arsenal could be on the verge of an exhilarating phase.
Arsenal icon now claims £24m defender is actually more important than William Saliba