Holding Aware Of Better Playing Time If He Moves To Newcastle

Arsenal is bent on taking in Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille, something that could be made official soon. With another new face at Emirates Stadium, some current players may see a dip in playing time. One of them is defender Rob Holding.

Holding was one of the key figures when Arsenal defeated Liverpool in their Community Shield match, 5-4. Though he got ample playing time, that may not necessarily hold next season. The arrival of Gabriel is expected to limit his playing time, a reason why he may be interested in moving out, Sky Sports reported.

A move by the 24-year-old to St. James Park makes sense with Holding giving Steve Bruce better center-back options. An official announcement of the loan move has yet to be made though Holding could be a big help in their match on Sept. 12 against West Ham.

Right now, Bruce has Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark are the centerbacks Bruce has at his disposal. They were in action during the Magpies win over Barnsley on Saturday. Spelling them were Florian Lejeune and DeAndre Yedlin. Jamaal Lascelles is another option but he is currently recuperating from an injury.

Bruce is used to operating with three at the back last season. Fernandez is his regular starter with other players dealing with injuries. Holding would provide much-needed help if Newcastle can close a deal with Arsenal.

Aside from Holding, the Gunners also have their sights on left-back Dimitrios Giannoulis. However, Bruce’s immediate need is a center-back, meaning taking in Holding on loan makes sense.

On the part of Arsenal, the immediate focus is Gabriel. The deal is practically done with the Gunners meeting the asking fee of $35 million by Lille, talkSPORT reported. Aside from Arsenal, other clubs who try to lure Brazilian players include Manchester United, Everton and Napoli.

"We cannot announce anything yet [with regards to Gabriel]. The deal is not finalized, he is a player we have followed for a long time. Hopefully, we can get it done," Gunners manager Mikel Arteta said. "When we get it, I will be very pleased. We are determined he has the right profile to improve our squad. If we are able to finalize it we will be delighted."