Could Mikel Arteta finally land the Gabriel Magalhães upgrade he’s long admired? Who exactly is the upgrade?
Well, back in the summer of 2023, Marc Guéhi was viewed as the perfect alternative to Gabriel. Arteta was keen on pairing the Crystal Palace defender with William Saliba, but the move relied on one of Gabriel’s suitors stepping up with a serious bid.
No such offer came, and Guéhi remained at Selhurst Park.
Guéhi links return, but the context has changed
Although that transfer never materialised, links to Guéhi have never truly faded. Interest resurfaced last summer, and now they’ve re-emerged again, but this time the situation has evolved.
Gabriel is no longer seen as a weak link. He has grown immensely since 2023, signing a new long-term deal and establishing himself as a vital component of Arsenal’s back line. The Brazilian now plays with a maturity and calmness that has made him a cornerstone of Arteta’s system.
So if Arsenal are still pursuing Guéhi, it’s no longer to replace Gabriel, but to add serious depth and top-level competition to the heart of defence.
A smart deal, but would Guéhi accept the role?
According to The Athletic, Arteta is actively exploring ways to reinforce his defensive core alongside Saliba and Gabriel. Guéhi, now entering the final year of his Palace contract, could be available for a modest fee, making him an attractive target.
The bigger question is whether the 24-year-old would accept the move. With the 2026 World Cup in the USA on the horizon, regular minutes will be crucial for his England ambitions. Would he get that at Arsenal?
Guéhi may back himself to compete, and his versatility across the back line certainly helps his case. But if this move happens, it won’t be a simple upgrade. It’ll be a statement of Arsenal’s squad-building ambition, and the start of a battle for starting places.
Could Guéhi push Gabriel, or even Saliba, for a spot? Let us know what you think, Gooners.
Daniel O
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With Kwior and Calafiori available as back up for Gabriel, why would we need another left sided centre back?while Guehi is right footed he has played at LCB for most of his career.
An upgrade says who ? Not many left sided center backs are better than the big Brazilian, while I do like Guehi, our priority would have better servers with another Palace player who happens to play further up the pitch.
Eze is 0ne player Arsenal needs, his technical abilities is perfect for low block teams.
But am not worried, from the little I knows of Berta, he doesn’t seems to go off the rails in these situations
talking about 1 step forward and 2 steps backwards.
We have needed a striker and winger for years now, and hopefully they are prioritized in both cost/value and performance.
This obsession with LB and CB at the expense of attacking players has to stop at some point. We are among the top defenses, full of young or players in their prime, stop trying to reinvent the wheel.
I don’t think an upgrade exists for Gabriel on this earth.
How is Guehi an upgrade to Magalhaes?
Such fallacy.
Except both Kiwior and Tomiyasu are leaving, in which case Guehi could be backup for both of our mainstay CBs. Otherwise we don’t need Guehi and I don’t think Arsenal are looking to sign him either
Are you not being presumptious to suggest that Kwior is leaving or do you have priviledged info?
I said “except Kiwior….leaving”. That’s a conditional, not presumptuous, statement
Not sure if Guehi would be happy being a ‘back up ‘.
Never an upgrade. Please tell someone else not Arsenal fans.