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Everton set to seal £25m deal for Lille star Gabriel Magalhaes to bolster defence and beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham to Brazilian

Everton believe they have won the race to sign highly-rated Brazil defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille in a deal that will cost them more than £25million.

Carlo Ancelotti, Everton’s manager, has prioritised bolstering his back four. He has lacked depth in central defence, with Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina his only options, and Gabriel – a 22-year-old who was born in Sao Paolo – has been the Italian’s preferred option.

A number of Premier League clubs have been pursuing Gabriel, including Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal, but Marcel Brands, Everton’s Director of Football, has been working on a move for the past two months.