Reports in Spain claim Arsenal are on the brink of landing Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista, as Arsene Wenger looks to bolster his options at the back in the January transfer window.
As noted by 101 Great Goals, Jose Ramon De La Morena from reliable Spanish radio station Cadena Ser has claimed the two sides are close to a €20 million deal, which may be completed on Wednesday. The news was confirmed by the head journalist at the radio station, Xavi Sidro:
Clarification of what had been reported came via the Spanish Gooner Twitter account:
Bleacher Report’s Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas runs the rule over the 24-year-old and some other reported transfer targets for the Gunners here:
Paulista is a player who has been at the crux of what’s been an exceptional campaign for Villarreal. They’ve played a brash brand of effervescent football under the tutelage of Marcelino—they’re unbeaten in their last 15 matches—but there’s been an underpinning solidity to their play, a trait which Paulista has been primarily responsible for.
But the club's manager has admitted the player could leave for Arsenal soon, per SamuelJayC:
Here’s a look at why Arsenal are reportedly willing to part with such an extortionate sum for the centre-half:
On the face of things, Paulista looks like an excellent fit for the Gunners. Naturally he’s astute in his utilisation of the ball, but there’s a rugged streak to his defending to complement his technical talents, one that’ll surely see the Villarreal man relish the challenge of the Premier League should he end up donning the iconic red jersey.
Here’s how Paulista compares to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in league matches this season:
Arsenal also have an extended track record of bringing players in from Spain’s top flight—admittedly, with varied success—as noted here by Sport Witness:
Splashing out this much midseason in not typically in Wenger’s makeup, but encouragingly for Arsenal supporters, while it’s a revelation that may be a little overdue, the Frenchman looks as though he’s realised the importance of having a cohesive and diligent defensive streak to their play.
It’s an area of the team the Gunners failed to address in earnest in the summer window and, while they may be paying over the odds for Paulista, it’s a case of needs most when you run the rule over the club’s offensively loaded crop of players. But make no mistake, in the long-term Paulista is a centre-back that looks as though he’ll be well worth the money.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1Eq8x2a
via IFTTT January 21, 2015 at 12:38AM
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