Tag Archives: Gabriel Paulista

Arsenal Eye Elegant 24-Year-Old Brazilian Defender – reports

Arsenal have turned their attention to Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista after choosing to drop their interest in signing St Etienne defender Loic Perrin, as reported by the Daily Mirror.

The manager of the north London side, Arsene Wenger, is thought to be keen on defensive additions this month in an attempt to deal with his considerable problems across the back line since the start of the season.

Injuries and suspensions have seen Wenger’s side forced to regularly play young talents and experienced pros out of position in defence, causing a series of defensive mixups and problems.

Perrin said there was interest in Arsenal signing him, but that situation seems to have changed.

L’Equipe are now claiming Wenger has changed his preferred target to Gabriel.

He has made 16 appearances for the Yellow Submarine this season, and at 24 years old, is thought to be a more long term option than the 29 year old Perrin.

However, an issue might be the fact that he has yet to play for Brazil, meaning getting a work permit for the defender might prove difficult.