Arsenal are in contact with Brazil defender Gabriel Magalhaes about the prospect of extending his contract at the Emirates Stadium, according to reports.

There were rumours that Gabriel could leave Arsenal last year when he was highlighted as a potential target for the Saudi Pro League, but it never seemed a likely move and he has remained a key player for the Gunners this season, often starting alongside William Saliba within their main centre-back partnership.

After tying down Saliba to a longer contract in July and rewarding fellow defender Benjamin White with a new deal in March, Arsenal are now working on a way to keep Gabriel.

The 26-year-old’s contract is due to last until 2027, which would take him up to seven years of service to Arsenal. However, the club can envisage him staying even longer.

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal have held early talks with Gabriel about a new contract, and those talks have been positive. For now, though, the defender is focusing on their pursuit of the Premier League title.

Gabriel has only missed two of their league matches so far this season. Arsenal enter the weekend top of the table, but aware that Manchester City have a game in hand over them.

Mikel Arteta has made Gabriel a vital player within his Arsenal setup and wants to keep relying on him for the remainder of his prime years.

Whether there is still interest from elsewhere, such as Saudi Arabia, for Gabriel remains to be seen. Most teams would be happy to have a player like him, but he belongs to Arsenal right now.

Gabriel one of most important Arsenal elements

In fact, only Saliba has amassed more minutes of gametime for Arsenal than Gabriel this season. They have both clocked up more than 4,000 minutes of action.

TEAMtalk recently provided some insight into just how important Arsenal’s defensive stability has been towards their title challenge this season.

Having the combination of the right-footed Saliba and left-footed Gabriel has been pivotal, especially with how their styles complement one another.

Arsenal’s alternatives at centre-back include White, who has more often played at right-back in recent seasons, and Gabriel’s left-footed deputy Jakub Kiwior, who can also play at full-back.

Last summer, Arsenal also signed Jurrien Timber from Ajax, but injury has kept him out for most of his debut season.

Next season and beyond, Timber will be an added bonus for Arsenal, but it seems they still have a major place in their plans for Gabriel too.

Since joining from Lille in 2020, Gabriel has made 164 appearances for Arsenal. He won his first honour for the club at the start of the season when they claimed the Community Shield.