Napoli take the lead in €25m Gabriel Magalhães race — report

Gabriel Magalhães has been a trending name in the rumor mill, and while the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea are reportedly interested in the defender’s services, and Everton even looked to have things wrapped up a couple months ago, it appears that the club who are actually leading the race these days are Napoli.

According to France Football, Napoli head coach Gennaro Gattuso is a big fan, and has “expressed his desire” to bring Gabriel to Serie A, which his team apparently are happy to fulfill.

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to cause a paradigm shift in the transfer market, and combined with Lille’s need to sell, there is a consensus that Gabriel could be available for less than his initial asking price of €35m. According to the report, the price has now been slashed to €25m, which does appear quite a bargain for a player of his potential.

If Chelsea are truly interested, we might as well get involved in the race. Gabriel Magalhães may well be the only available centre back who is an improvement upon our current options, and at the current price, getting him would be a no-brainer.