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| Gabriel in action for LOSC Lille in match against Paris Saint Germain. (Image from Yahoo! Sports) |
It has been quite a decent season for LOSC Lille as they finished 4th in Ligue 1 and have qualified for European football. This might not seem very interesting until one realises the fact that Lille finished 4th after scoring just 35 goals in 28 matches, lowest of any team in top 4!
So, what is it that kept them in the contention for European glory? It’s their defensive record. They have conceded just 27 goals throughout the league campaign (reduced to 28 matches this time) and emerged as a defensive powerhouse in France, thanks to their star youngster Gabriel. The young Brazilian has taken the limelight after an excellent season, and expects to move this transfer window. So, who is he and what makes him special? Let’s get to it straight away –
Player Information –
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| Gabriel has gained plaudits for his rise this season. (Image from The Sun) |
Name: Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães
Age: 22
Nationality: Brazil
Team: LOSC Lille
League: French Ligue 1
Major Trophies Won: Croation Cup with
Dinamo Zagreb
Major Trophies Won: Croation Cup with
Dinamo Zagreb
Position: Center Back
Height: 6’3” (191 cm.)
Preferred Foot: Left
Shirt: #4
Playing Style
Gabriel is a centre back who is strong in air and excellent at building from back. He has a physical presence and is left-footed, one of the main reasons why Solskjaer would love him in team, as he will be the perfect partner for Harry Maguire and compliment our defensive unit very nicely. If he comes to the club, he will certainly replace Victor Lindelof, because he is everything the Swede is and a bit more, as seen from the radar made using performances throughout the season –
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| Performances throughout the season clearly show Gabriel excels in every field against Lindelof. (Image from Soccerment) |
The radar clearly shows how the Brazilian dominates over his Swedish counterpart in every aspect of the game. When it comes to making an overall impact on several aspects of the game, Gabriel proves his superiority here as well –
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| Statistics and Analysis indicate danger for Lindelof in case Brazilian moves to Old Trafford. (Image from Soccerment) |
Moreover, Maguire being right-footed, he has landed himself in trouble countless number of times this season while playing as the left centre back. The arrival of Gabriel will sort this issue and get United’s system running in an excellent way as both the centre-halves will play at their best positions.
Transfer Update
Coming to the Transfer Updates – Metro, The Sun, and Mirror have reported that Manchester United are keen to make a move for the LOSC Lille defender and a bid in the range of 20 – 30 Million Euros can be expected to make the move. There has been no confirmation from Tier 1 Sources regarding the move. Although it is being stated that a price of €25-30m will be sufficient to secure the services of Brazilian.
Are Manchester United really in the race? That remains to be seen. Will he be a positive signing? Definitely. Ole also talked to Nathan Ake after the match against Cherries few days back and that has clearly indicated that we are in need of a left-footed center back. Gabriel will certainly be the best option considering his age, and preference to play on left side of the centre-back pairing. But how United moves ahead with their transfer policy remains to be seen. We can only hope that the Red Devils make the smart move and strengthen our prospects to win more trophies next season.
