Gabriel Magalhaes passnotes: Who is the £30m man interesting Chelsea, Arsenal?

With a number of Premier League managers keen to give their squads a makeover this summer, Europe is being scoured for the brightest young talents.

Among those catching the eye is 22-year-old Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes – with Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton all ready to make a play to entice the Brazilian to England come the summer.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard got to watch Magalhaes in the Champions League this season when Lille faced the Blues in the group stage, but to others, he is something of an unknown quantity.

With that in mind, Sportsmail runs the rule over the youngster who grew up idolising Neymar...

Who is he?

Gabriel dos Santos Magalhaes, the 22-year-old Brazilian, is the latest star to emerge at Lille, one of the best producers of talent having brought through people such as Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard and Arsenal's Nicolas Pepe.

Hailing from Sao Paulo, Magalhaes spent his youth career at Brazilian side Avai before the left-footed centre back made the move to France.

After spending a year in the club's 'B' team, Magalhaes was thrust into the first-team set-up, only to fail to find his feet, eventually going out on two loans that proved far from successful at Troyes and then Dinamo Zagreb, where he played just once.

Despite failing to impress while away on loan, the decision was made to retain him in Lille for the 2018-19 season and while he played just one minute in Ligue 1 prior to February, he took his chance when injury opened a spot in the side for him.

His form since that opportune moment arrived a year ago has been superb and he has managed to retain his spot in the side, leading to interest from a number of top Premier League sides.

'It took me a while to get used to things in Lille, it was very difficult,' he said in an interview earlier this year.

'Today I am happy. The coach shows me that I am important for the team, I have responsibilities. Lille is my home now.'

Who wants him?

Chelsea are believed to be leading the race to sign him - one fan has cheekily updated the player's Wikipedia page to read that he has already joined the west London side.

But while Frank Lampard has taken a shine to the player, both Arsenal and Everton have also been credited with an interest in the centre back.

All three sides are keen to improve their defensive options ahead of the 2020-21 season, having proven too easy to beat in that area at times through the current campaign.

Chelsea have let in 39 goals in the league this season - the second highest in the top 10 - so the signing of Magalhaes would freshen things up for him at the back.

Lampard has experimented with his defence this season, giving chances to youngsters like Fikayo Tomori as well as playing Kurt Zouma and Antonio Rudiger - the latter two appearing to be the first-choice pairing.

A left-footed centre back is also of real value with so many naturally right-footed players in that position, making the Lille man a valued commodity.

For Arsenal, David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi have not convinced.

Carlo Ancelotti is determined to bring in Champions League quality players in a bid to close the gap to the European spots and to freshen Everton up in his first summer transfer window at the club.

What has his form been like at Lille?

In short: solid and reliable.

Since filling the void left by Adama Soumaoro's injury more than 12 months ago, Magalhaes has been a model of consistency.

He has made 34 Ligue 1 starts in his Lille career and has six appearances in the Champions League.

Alongside former Southampton defender Jose Fonte, Magalhaes has proven to be composed in possession and a presence in the air, ensuring his place in the side is not at risk.

He has won 64 per cent of his aerial battles and at 6ft 3', he will prove an effective force both defensively and offensively at set-pieces.

Pace is another key asset to his game and that will afford him some margin for error - knowing he can make up the ground - should he get caught out in English football.

What has been said?

Fonte's experience has been key to Magalhaes' development and the former Southampton man could only speak glowingly about his team-mate.

'I did a good job, right? 'Gaby' has progressed,' Fonte said recently, via the Liverpool Echo.

'Now he is a regular member and everyone is talking about him. I am really happy.

'A football player can always learn. He was very attentive. With humility and hard work, he will be able to play at a great level.'

Lille owner Gerard Lopez is not the least bit surprised by the player's development, despite his rocky start following his move from Brazil.

'I am not surprised by its evolution in such a short time,' the owner said.

'The only way to hatch talents is by giving them matches. Gabriel had the opportunity to chain them. We forget that he was captain of the U19 Brazil when he landed with us.'