Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has talked up the signing of centre-back Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal, explaining if he had not signed another defender then he would not have been acting responsibly.

The Gunners boss declared his desire to add up to two players in the current transfer window – and has now added one following the signing of Gabriel from Villarreal for a fee of around £11m.




As part of the deal Joel Campbell has joined Villarreal on loan and Wenger will hope the Costa Rican can clock up regular first team football in Spain.

 


The Arsenal manager has now struck a confident note over Gabriel's qualities and backed him to adapt to the Premier League.

He told his club's site: "He has good pace, he’s good in the challenge and he’s tall – so he can adapt to English football.

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"Maybe it will take some time to adapt completely, but overall it’s very good to have him.

"He’s very ambitious, focused and serious. That’s important at a club like ours – you need to have a complete focus on your job. He has that."

And Wenger believes that he simply had to sign another defender, a need which only grew following an injury to Mathieu Debuchy, even if he concedes that at a push Nacho Monreal can play centre-back.

"We needed another centre back because we have lost Debuchy. Monreal can play centre back and we are a bit short there if something happens, especially with the Achilles [problem] of [Laurent] Koscielny since the start of the season.

"We needed some cover, or we would not be responsible. [Gabriel] can play right back and left back, and that is of course a good quality as well."

It remains to be seen when Gabriel will make his Arsenal debut, but he has been granted a work permit, despite having never played for Brazil at senior level.

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