Noel Whelan insists Gabriel Magalhaes will get even better if Arsenal signs Eintracht Frankfurt Evan Ndicka as competition for him. Arsenal has an interest in the French defender, who will be a free agent at the end of this season.
Several clubs want to sign french defender, but he could be attracted by the lure of playing for Mikel Arteta’s high-flyers.
The Gunners want to add french defender to their squad because they want a player to act as cover for Gabriel.
The Brazilian is the only natural left-sided centre-back at the club now and Ndicka will provide cover if he cannot play.
Whelan believes it is a transfer that will benefit everyone. He tells Football Insider:
“I think sometimes bringing in another player can add strength and quality, first and foremost. But it can also give some players, like Gabriel in this case, that kick up the backside they need.
“I’m not saying Gabriel is complacent, but we’ve seen a couple of mistakes creeping into his game now.
“Someone else like Ndicka coming in to share that load and spur him on could cut those out.”
Ndicka, 23, is out of contract at the end of the season. Frankfurt want him to sign a new contract but they could be tempted to sell in January to avoid losing him for free next summer.
The French defender has played against Tottenham in the Champions League this season and his situation is being monitored by a number of clubs, including Juventus. He moved to Frankfurt from Auxerre in 2018 and has impressed in Germany.
Arsenal want to sign a left-sided centre-back as Gabriel is currently their only out-and-out option in that position. Pablo Mari is on loan at Monza this season and expected to leave permanently next summer.
The Gunners targeted Ajax duo Martinez and Calvin Bassey in the summer before opting to sign left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City for around £32million.
