Arsenal are in talks with Villarreal over a deal for defender Gabriel Paulista, but who exactly is the much talked-about Brazilian?
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Name: Gabriel Paulista (Gabriel Armando de Abreu)
Age: 24
Position: Centre-back
Club: Villarreal
Nationality: Brazil
Born in Sao Paulo, Gabriel Paulista started his top-flight career with Esporte Clube Vitoria, graduating through the youth set-up before making his league debut in 2010 aged 19.
Three years later Paulista helped Vitoria to the 2013 Campeonato Baiano title, having been utilised on the left and right-hand side of a three-man backline.
La Liga-bound
Paulista was voted the best central defender in the tournament and in August 2013 signed a five-year contract with Villarreal in Spain. Three months later he made his debut in a draw with eventual champions Atletico Madrid at El Madrigal and Paulista has not looked back.
Gabriel Paulista's defensive stats for Villarreal in La Liga this season
The Brazilian's performances this season have contributed significantly to Villarreal’s recent surge up to sixth in the table and progress through to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals - they are currently on a 15-game unbeaten run.
The Yellow Submarine boast one of the meanest defences in the division having conceded just 17 goals and Paulista could be just the centre-half Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been seeking.
Adaptability
Of great appeal to the Frenchman will be the defender’s versatility; Paulista is mainly right-footed but is also able to operate at left back as he has done on two occasions for Villarreal.
The player has also built a glowing reputation as a powerful, pacy, ball-playing central defender who reads the game brilliantly, is strong in the air and capable of man-marking if required.
Paulista's style of lay is thought to be ideally suited to the demands of the Premier League
Those attributes would appear to make Paulista ideally suited to the physical demands of the Premier League yet he remains a player with great potential who is far from the finished product.
“Gabriel needs to develop at the club, he is raw, but talented,” Spanish football expert Graham Hunter told Revista de la Liga.
This may explain why Brazil have so far resisted the temptation to hand him a first call-up to the national team, a factor that may adversely impact on Arsenal’s chances of obtaining a work permit for the player.
'Playing in the Premier League is one of my dreams'
Paulista, though, appears to have already made up his mind about joining Arsenal in this month’s transfer window.
With Arsenal and United both interested in the defender, Villarreal are holding out for bids to meet the 20 million Euros buyout clause
“The subject is being discussed by my agent and the club,” he said. “If I go to Arsenal it will be excellent. But if it's not finalised then I am relaxed. I am focused on my work here.
"My agent is working on making sure I continue being calm. Playing in the Premier League is one of my dreams. I have spoken to my agent about this."
€20m buy-out clause
Villarreal are understood to only be willing to allow Paulista to move to the capital if the Gunners meet the £15.25m (€20m) release clause in his contract.
But Wenger confirmed talks between the parties are ongoing and appeared confident of a positive outcome.
'If we think it is the right price, we will pay it'
“We are ready to pay the price for a player if he is good enough. If the price is right, we will pay," he said.
Wenger revealed that talks between Arsenal and Villarreal for the purchase of Paulista are taking place
"We are talking at the moment. Can we find an agreement or not? I do not know. We are slowly progressing, but there is a chance.
“We are ready to pay the price we think is right for a good player no matter what the price is. If we think it is the right price, we will pay it.”
And former Barcelona and Spain right-back Albert Ferrer thinks Paulista is worth his €20m asking price.
“He is a very good centre back who is important for Villarreal being their best defender and that is why they want the money in his clause,” Ferrer said on Revista.
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