Man United legend discloses that Arsenal star DM’d him over criticism last season
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand disclosed that Arsenal center-back Gabriel Magalhaes took offense to comments he made about the performance of Arsenal’s center-back last season.
Gabriel has sat out Arsenal’s first three Premier League matches due to rumors that he will depart the club in the summer.
The 25-year-old was a mainstay for Mikel Arteta’s squad last season and has appeared in 98 of 117 Premier League matches since joining the club in 2020.
Since then, however, he has been removed from the starting lineup, and Ferdinand believes it is because the Brazilian is most prone to making errors.
Gabriel allegedly confronted Ferdinand on social media in response to the former England international’s remarks, which he reportedly found offensive.
When asked if Gabriel’s absence was due to his error-making, Ferdinand responded on his YouTube channel, “I said that last year, and he didn’t like it; he DM’d me.
“Today’s athletes cannot tolerate criticism, which is a major issue for me. Not all of the players I’ve dealt with in recent years have come through their agents, but I’ve dealt with quite a few.
“I’ve instructed you not to have your agent contact me. You invite your player to speak with me, and I will converse with him without issue.Yes, he came directly to me, which I appreciate. However, I believe he did not hear what I was saying.”
Gabriel could return to Arsenal’s back four on Sunday against Manchester United, presuming he does not leave the club this summer, with Real Madrid and Saudi Pro League clubs reportedly interested in signing him.
In contrast, Arteta’s absence was solely for strategic purposes.
After leaving Gabriel out of Arsenal’s first two games of the season, the Spaniard explained to reporters last week: “It’s about the games we were anticipating, that I was expecting, and how I wanted to defend and attack and what I believed was the best thing.
“He participated in both games and helped us win both for distinct reasons. Today, he was very effective; when he entered the game, he completely dominated the box, and he will play frequently. “However, sometimes that is the choice.”
Man United legend discloses that Arsenal star DM’d him over criticism last season