Arsenal paid small fee upfront to sign Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal reportedly paid a small fee upfront to land the signature of Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille this summer.

The centre-back joined the Gunners from the French outfit in early September and he made his debut against Fulham in the Premier League opener.

He made an instant impression with a solid defensive performance while he also scored his maiden goal for the club in the 3-0 win.

He has since remained consistent with his displays and was recently voted by the fans as the Player of the Month for September.

Gabriel was initially reported to have been purchased from Lille for £27m, but it now appears that the Gunners agreed on staggered payments.

It is added that they only paid £5m upfront for the former Avai graduate and the remaining sum will be settled over a period of three years.

The Gunners have formed a good relationship with Lille, having previously signed Nicolas Pepe for £72m, whereby only £20m was paid upfront.