Everton set to seal £25m deal for Lille star Gabriel Magalhaes to bolster defence and beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham to Brazilian
- Everton believe they have won the race to sign Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes
- The 22-year-old is highly-rated and is a target for a host of Premier League clubs
- Everton chief Marcel Brands has worked on a deal for two months with Lille
- Carlo Ancelotti has identified central defence as an area to strengthen
Everton believe they have won the race to sign highly-rated Brazil defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille in a deal that will cost them more than £25million.
Carlo Ancelotti, Everton’s manager, has prioritised bolstering his back four. He has lacked depth in central defence, with Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina his only options, and Gabriel – a 22-year-old who was born in Sao Paolo – has been the Italian’s preferred option.
A number of Premier League clubs have been pursuing Gabriel, including Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal, but Marcel Brands, Everton’s Director of Football, has been working on a move for the past two months.
Everton are confident they have done enough to land Gabriel Magalhaes in a £25million deal
![Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti has identified central defence as an area in need of strengthening](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/04/16/12/27266992-8225505-image-a-91_1587036248009.jpg)
Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti has identified central defence as an area in need of strengthening
The club are confident they have done enough to persuade the former Brazil Under-20 international to move to Merseyside.
Gabriel has been an instrumental figure for Lille in their pursuit of a Champions League place. They were fourth before the season was postponed due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, with their progress built on the fact they have been difficult to breakdown – they had conceded 27 goals in 28 games, the third best tally in the division.
Ancelotti had been frustrated by a number of goals Everton had conceded before the break in play, with the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal a particularly disappointing afternoon.
![Should the deal come off, it will represent a huge coup with Magalhaes highly sought after](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/04/16/12/27267010-8225505-image-a-92_1587036279711.jpg)
Should the deal come off, it will represent a huge coup with Magalhaes highly sought after