Gabriel joined his first club as a youngster, although he was only there for a week. He never gave up on his dream, though, and continued to persevere.

Before facing the trial that would transform his life, Gabriel Magalhães had to travel about 500 miles. Avaí FC had to decide quickly because he did not have enough money to stay in Florianópolis for more than a few days. Gabriel only needed one practice to persuade the team that he was their new center back. But even with his considerable potential, he was only at the team for one week during his first spell. In the south of Brazil, Gabriel experienced homesickness and promptly made his way back to São Paulo to be with his family.

He was fifteen, a heavy cryer, and found it difficult to blend in with his colleagues. However, this was his chance to guarantee the financial security of his family. After speaking with his father, Gabriel informed Diogo Fernandes, the current coach at Avaí, that he would like to return. Diogo agreed.

He says, “We knew this could happen because the first problem a football player faces is being away from home.” We also knew that Avaí would be among the exclusive groups that would welcome Gabriel. Tall and thin, he was a left-footer who found it difficult to head the ball and tended to be a touch soft in confrontations. But in the end, we were right—he was a fantastic player, and when he was moved to Lille in 2017, it was the largest transfer in Avaí history.

Gabriel was vying for a spot on the youth team with his twin brothers. Gabriel had never attended an academy before, yet he prevailed. His first coach at Avaí, Niltinho Costa, recalls seeing him play in the rain on a synthetic field during his trial.

Niltinho immediately recognised his talent and work ethic. We had to give up one of our two left-footers in order to make room for Gabriel to play for us. After seeing him play, I said to myself, “Man, this guy can be a professional when he turns 18.” In addition, he was a wonderful man—”um amor de pessoa” [a sweetie], as we say in Brazil. I used to talk to him a lot when I supported him on the pitch and comforted him while he was missing home. The only problem was that he was born in December, so he was almost a year younger than some of the other kids and took longer to physically mature.

On August 8, 2020, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, during a pre-season friendly between Ajax Amsterdam and RKC Waalwijk at Johan Cruijff Arena, Antony of Ajax celebrates scoring his team’s fifth goal of the game.

Antony: “I watched the Champions League last year.” I’m now scoring in it.

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Gabriel remained bashful and missed his family, but he found comfort in the club’s lads and in the guidance of a psychotherapist. Yet as a slender player, he had to put on weight and figure out how to strengthen his areas of weakness. “There is a funny story about his career,” Diogo remembers. “Gabriel was on the bench and Marcão, who is currently at Galatasaray, was the first pick in their position. But we had to drop Marcão when we found out he was missing class since we couldn’t accept it at Avaí. Marcão’s father didn’t take it well, and as a result, he missed three months of club visits. Then Gabriel was selected as the top option. His opportunity came in a Copa do Brasil encounter against Flamengo. He started to achieve even more success after that.

Like Marcão, Gabriel did not enjoy going to class. Diogo claims he was a rascal, a malandro. Diogo reasoned, “If his football career doesn’t work out, he’ll have to rely on his studies.” In order to emphasise the value of education, the club got in touch with Gabriel’s family and looked for a relative who had completed their education.

He needed some reason, so his godmother flew down to Santa Catarina to provide some wisdom. Diogo chuckles, “It was a very rough moment.” “She came, and we had a conversation, outlining all the advantages of attending school for him. After that, something clicked in his mind, and he changed, thus he needed it. Gabriel had impeccable manners, so it was always a breeze to have a serious conversation with him.

He’s the kind of player that gets emotional when his team loses. Feelings of this nature are crucial.

Flávio Albano

On the pitch, Gabriel continued to get better, but he had to become more resilient. Niltinho asserts, “If he was soft, or if someone even thought he was soft, there was no chance of being a good defender.” “Gabriel, you need to be more hands-on,” I urged him. These guys are someone you need to get close to, and you can’t allow them get by you.

Tragic events occurred at home just as he was getting settled. He lost his close boyhood friend, who was like a brother, in an automobile accident. Gabriel considered quitting up once more, but Niltinho persisted in offering him encouragement. At the end of that year, I moved to a different club, but I stayed in contact with him. At the time, he was in his second year at Avaí. We had some really enjoyable conversations, so I guess [speaking with him] really helped him. Gabriel was and still is a very family-oriented boy, and it is this kind of thing that makes you feel unstable. Gabriel declined my invitation to accompany him to Palmeiras and instead stayed with Avaí.

Manager of the club’s youth squads Flávio Albano says it’s important to remember Gabriel’s commitment to Avaí. “Having a player who respects the team he plays for, like Gabriel did, is always a plus,” remarks Albano, a legendary player at Grêmio and Fluminense in his own day. “He is the kind of player who gets upset when his team loses. This kind of emotion is crucial, and it’s becoming even less common in football these days. I only wish he had stayed longer, but we know that players are coming and going from Brazil rather early these days. It’s a current trend at all clubs.

Before joining Lille in January 2017, Gabriel captained Avaí on a few occasions despite his youth. He had just celebrated his 19th birthday and Lille manager Marcelo Bielsa did not think he was ready for the first team, deciding instead to send him on loan to fellow Ligue 1 side Troyes and then Dinamo Zagreb. After pushing the team into the relegation zone, Bielsa was fired soon after and Christophe Galtier took over.

After returning to Lille in 2018, Gabriel formed a strong alliance with José Fonte, the centre back who had previously played for West Ham, Southampton, and Crystal Palace. “I saw he had great potential and he was able to seize the first opportunity he got,” Galtier said, expressing his adequately impressed opinion. He worked hard to pass the time since he was eager to play. He serves as a model for other young people. Such behaviour demonstrates a certain level of intellect. When a player isn’t on the team, how frequently do you see them not working these days?

Lille hung onto Gabriel for as long as they could, but in September they gave in to an approach from Arsenal for £27 million. Despite Arsenal’s dismal start to the season, Gabriel has impressed, taking home the club’s player of the month title in September and October and adding goals in the league against Wolves and Fulham.

Anyone who witnessed him perform in Brazil is not surprised by his success. He was not gifted; rather, he was built on his determination to overcome his setbacks and discover that he was capable of overcoming any challenges life presented. His potential as a top player was always apparent to us. Many Brazilian teams were interested in Gabriel, but Diogo Fernandes says, “His time in the limelight was meant to be in Europe.”