Inside Gabriel Magalhaes’ incredible Arsenal transformation from ‘rough diamond’ to undroppable
Inside his home, Gabriel Magalhaes has a table where all his career accolades sit. In and among the player of the month awards sit two Premier League man of the match trophies, both won in North London Derby victories at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Two games. Five months apart. Same result.
It’s a physical embodiment of the levels of consistency that few thought he could reach. Not so long ago, Gabriel was seen as a ticking time bomb. It was a question of when, not if, his next rash moment would come. Now he is viewed by many inside Arsenal as more dependable even than his central defensive partner William Saliba. Defying expectations is something the Brazilian has made a habit of though.
Very little has come easy in Gabriel’s career. As a child, his dream of becoming a professional footballer was almost over before it had even begun. He was rejected after trials at a host of Brazil’s top clubs before finally being signed up by perennial yo-yo team Avai at the age of 14. The deal would require a 425-mile move from his native Sao Paolo to Florianopolis. It was just a week before the homesick teenager wanted to come home, before being convinced by his father to stick it out at Avai.
His first season showed promise but signs of rawness too. Outstanding and composed in Arsenal’s first win at Old Trafford in 14 years on the one hand, naïve and emotional in reacting to receiving a second yellow card in four minutes against Southampton by running down the tunnel in tears on the other. Arteta admitted after the latter incident that he had wanted to save the Brazilian from himself by taking him off after the first booking, but did not have the time.
It may seem bizarre now but in Arsenal’s biggest game of that campaign – a Europa League semi-final with Villarreal – Arteta opted to start Pablo Mari over Gabriel. At the time few eyebrows were raised.
The Brazilian was described by a source at the time as a “rough diamond”. More regular game time across the following years added polish to that perception, but occasional errors and moments of hot-headedness showed that jagged edges were still there.
It is in the past two campaigns though, that he has found the consistency that has allowed him to deliver on his undoubted potential.
Those close to the defender cite changes off the pitch as a huge reason for this. After arriving in London at the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns, Gabriel has now made further in-roads in his local community and feels at home in England.
He has strong ties to the Brazilian diaspora and has given talks at north London school UCS where his compatriot Rodrigo Sousa is the head of football. “Gabriel is someone who really understands the value in connecting with the community and the power of sharing his life experiences with young people,” Sousa says of the visit. “These invaluable insights have helped our pupils to understand the sacrifices that are necessary in order to achieve success.
“It was a great success. He came to see us straight after a big win. He made his way down and spent time with the kids and took penalties against everyone from the A team to the D team. It was great for the kids to see his various experiences and ask questions about his upbringing and how he became the player he is today.
One of the questions Gabriel was asked in the Q and A with year eight pupils was who inspires him. His answer was simple – his family. In the past few years the 26-year-old married his long-term girlfriend Gabrielle Figueiredo and become a father.
Gabriel is a larger than life character around London Colney, but with the maturity of fatherhood those close to him have noticed that he understands the importance of making the right decisions better than ever before. This has extended into his approach to his recovery.
The Brazilian has a mantra – “holiday is business.” He works with health and performance specialists Volt Sports Science to improve his ability to bounce back quickly from any setbacks. There is a firm belief that this helped him recover from a grade two shoulder injury sustained in last season’s final day fixture with Everton, in time to feature as part of Brazil’s squad for this summer’s Copa America.
Arsenal players also have an app where they are given exercises to complete by club staff on days off in the summer. Gabriel follows these religiously for fear of coming back rusty.
The 26-year-old understands the importance of switching off from football too. As well as spending time with his family and their dog Bebezao – a name which translates to ‘big baby’ – Gabriel is a keen gamer and has a personalised console. He is also a huge Corinthians fan. His celebration of his goal at Tottenham on Sunday (pictured above) was a reference to Time do Povo’s latest signing Memphis Depay and the 26-year-old will go to every game he can when back in his home city of Sao Paolo.
a now regular Brazilian international, you might expect him to be in the posh seats. Instead though, Gabriel will travel to games on public transport and sit with the Corinthians ultras – the Gavioes.
Corinthians are his first love, and he has expressed a desire to play for them one day. For now though, his heart is firmly with Arsenal. The 26-year-old has embraced the club in almost every aspect and even has a pool table emblazoned with the club’s crest at his home. The feeling of admiration from Gunners stuff is mutual.
“The way he has evolved first as a person and then in his role in the club and the team has been phenomenal,” Arteta said after his game-winning display against Spurs on Sunday. “It has been great to watch. This is why we are here, this is one of my passions to give players the environment, the support and coaching to grow, to prepare them for life and to get to levels they probably didn’t think [they could reach] before.
“Gabriel is one of the best examples of that. Why? He loves what he does, he applies himself extremely well and he wants it. When that happens, good things happen to these kinds of people.”
Aside from words, Arsenal are looking to prove this adoration through action. Gabriel only signed a new five-year contract extension in 2022, but Edu is proactive in his approach to negotiations.
With his growth into one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, if not the world the Gunners will be keen to ensure Gabriel’s future lies in north London. The Brazilian wants to keep adding to that table of trophies in his corridor.
