The Brazilian centre-back was linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, but there was never a concrete interest and negotiation did not happen between the Gunners and another club.
Arsenal were unwilling to sell Gabriel even if a Saudi club offered them €200 million, which speaks volumes and underlines how important the club see him.
Real Madrid also wanted to buy the former Lille star as they were in the market for reinforcements at centre-back after Eder Militao picked up a long-term injury at the very beginning of the new season.
Gabriel was left on the bench for the three opening games of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign and only returned to the starting XI against Manchester United last weekend.
The 25-year-old started in every league game last term and only missed three games in 2021-22, and his exclusion from the line-up against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Fulham set tongues wagging.
Gabriel could become a Brazil international this month after receiving his first call-up to the senior national team for the 2026 World Cup qualification matches against Bolivia and Peru, and he knows playing regularly at club level will boost his chances of forcing his way into the country’s star-studded first-team.
Arsenal lost summer signing Jurrien Timber to a long-term injury on the opening weekend of the season, and selling Gabriel would not have made any sense.Makeshift right-back Thomas Partey is currently unavailable too, which has seen manager Mikel Arteta move Ben White back to the position, allowing the Brazilian return to partner William Saliba centrally.
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