Napoli front-runners in race to sign Lille's player of the year with Everton and Paris Saint-Germain also in the frame
Thursday 30 July 2020 11:47, UK
Manchester United are monitoring Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, as they look to sign a new centre-back this summer.
The 22-year-old is on United's radar as his age, potential and price - in the region of £20m - all fit the bill for a possible move to Old Trafford.
Everton, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain are embroiled in a race to sign the highly-rated centre-back, with the Serie A side the current front-runners as they remain in talks with Lille after wrapping up the signing of Victor Osimhen for £45m.
Gabriel was given more time to decide his future after Paris Saint-Germain joined the race to sign him and an unnamed Premier League club submitted a late bid thought to be in excess of £22m.
Everton remain in the race to sign Lille's player of the year after making an official bid in June.
The defender is expected to leave Lille this summer following the curtailment of the 2019/20 campaign in April.
Gabriel starred in a Lille side that finished fourth in Ligue 1, helping them secure a place in next season's Europa League.
He joined the French club in 2017 after arriving from Brazil and has made 52 appearances since.
Gabriel started his career at Avai, who currently play in the second tier of Brazilian football. After 21 appearances, he made the move to Europe in January 2017, signing for Lille for £1.5m.
He initially struggled to adapt to senior football at Lille and went out on loan twice - first to Troyes, where he spent the first half of the 2017/18 season, before a temporary move to Dynamo Zagreb in January 2018.
First-team opportunities continued to evade him, moving between the reserve and senior sides before returning to Lille for the start of the 2018/19 season.
Gabriel took his time to cement himself in the side, not starting a Ligue 1 game until February 2019. But he has not looked back since; forging a relatively successful partnership with former Southampton player Jose Fonte at centre-back.
After a seven-year absence, Gabriel helped Lille qualify for the Champions League in 2018/19, finishing second in Ligue 1 to PSG.
Gabriel has continued his ascent this season, with a string of impressive performances both domestically and in the Champions League.
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
