Arsenal summer signing Declan Rice has been outstanding since his arrival, and he has adapted quickly both on and off the pitch.
Rice joined from West Ham, and instantly realised the different level of quality he would be playing alongside, with Mikel Arteta’s side challenging for the Premier League title and the Champions League.
Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium was an impressive one given the defensive performance, and the Gunners now have the best backline in the Premier League.
William Saliba has earned a lot of plaudits, but Gabriel Magalhaes has been the unsung hero, although many are now recognising his incredible contributions, including Rice.
Declan Rice raves about Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes
Speaking on Vibe with Five, former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand revealed a recent conversation he had with Rice, in which the England International heaped praise on his teammate Gabriel.
“When I spoke to Declan [Rice] the other day, he was waxing lyrical, raving about Gabriel, who I criticised last season, and I stand by that and rightly so last season,” he stated.
“But he seems to have learned. He’s matured, and he’s one of the most aggressive, but also controlled and composed centre-halves in the league.
“And his partnership with Saliba. If Saliba was fit last season, they might have won the league.”
Gabriel Magalhaes is one of Arsenal’s best players
Rice has been Arsenal’s best player throughout the course of the season, but Gabriel is arguably not far off in second place.
The 26-year-old has cut out his errors to deliver a near-flawless campaign, and whilst Saliba has taken the plaudits, he has had a better individual season than the Frenchman in terms of consistency.
His aggressive style sees him mark opposition strikers out of the game, and he dealt with Erling Haaland superbly at the Etihad Stadium.
Gabriel is now a key leader within the squad, and has improved massively since his early days at the club, which saw him play alongside some below-par partners before Ben White and Saliba joined him.
The Brazil star is now getting the credit he deserves after such a stellar campaign, and his partnership with Saliba is among the best in the world, if not the best right now.