That's something the Gunners stuck by throughout after reports emerged of interest across Europe and even in Saudi Arabia. However, talk over his future stepped up in the early weeks of the season after the Brazilian was dropped from the starting lineup to begin with.
Gabriel has been a mainstay in the team since he made the switch from LOSC Lille in September 2020, slowly becoming a key star for the side. Last campaign he really hit the heights in a partnership with the returning William Saliba, a pairing that complemented each other and helped create a title push.
In October last year, the 25-year-old signed a new five-year deal that will take his stay up until 2027 and display his importance. His sudden dropping from the first-team in the opening fixtures then came as a surprise as Ben White shifted back to centre-back and Thomas Partey played as a right-back that became part of the midfield.
"It’s about the games that we were expecting, what I was expecting, how we wanted to defend and attack and our belief it was the best thing," Mikel Arteta said a few games into the season on his reasoning for dropping the defender. "He’s played in both games, he’s helped us to win both games for different reasons. He was really good today, he absolutely dominated the box. He’s going to play a lot of games. That’s the decision sometimes."
As reports ramped up, it appeared as though a push from the Saudi Pro League was mounting to land Gabriel as yet another star-studded addition to the division during a summer of mass recruitment. That wasn't the case though, as the window slammed shut on Thursday night.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners were adamant that they wouldn't be losing the defender this summer, with no negotiations held. The reporter claimed not even €200million (£171million) would be enough for the north London outfit to accept a deal.
It follows a similar bold step made by rivals Liverpool late in the window, who held firm on their valuation of winger Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian international had been heavily linked with a move worth upwards of £200million in recent days, however they resisted the temptation to keep hold of a key player.It remains to be seen whether that could all change in the coming months for both teams as the season shows where teams are compared to where they expect to be and the role their players will play. If things do change, then perhaps a deal could be on for January or next summer...
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