Gabriel Paulista: Talented Brazilian could grow into world-class defender at Arsenal

Villarreal’s scouting record in South America is as good as Arsène Wenger’s record for signing defenders is bad

Gabriel Paulista is quick, brave and is rarely injured. And though he still makes mistakes, his potential is there for all to see (Getty) (Getty)

The greatest praise that can be given to Arsenal’s new signing Gabriel Paulista is that Villarreal thought they had finally found a replacement for Diego Godin, the Uruguayan international who held their defence together from 2007 to 2010.

Aged 24, Gabriel is some way off 28-year-old Godin’s level right now, but all the signs are there – bravery, consistency, indestructibility and a willingness to learn and improve – to suggest that he can be developed into a similarly world-class defender. His coach, Marcelino, certainly thought so.

He was unimpressed last week when told that Gabriel would be sold. It was Marcelino who helped fast-track the Brazilian defender’s adaptation to La Liga in this first few weeks in Spain after his arrival from the Brazilian club Vitoria. He had bombarded the player with personalised videos to help him with his positioning and movement on the pitch, and bawled at him on the training ground day in, day out. The result had been the coach’s most consistent defensive performer.

Villarreal’s scouting record in South America is as good as Arsène Wenger’s record for signing defenders is bad. In 2013 Villarreal had the choice of either signing the raw Gabriel or Barcelona’s Marc Bartra, whose ability on the ball was his major plus. But they felt they already had that with Mateo Musacchio and Victor Ruiz. They wanted pace.

They finished up with one of the quickest defenders in La Liga, a player who this season sits second in terms of dispossessing opponents, is almost never injured and is described by those close to the Villarreal dressing room as obsessed with improving.

Villarreal’s finances do not allow them to turn down €15m (£11.2m) offers for players who cost just €3.5m 18 months ago, but still they insisted on Joel Campbell being part of the deal, such was the reluctance to part with Gabriel. The defender was invited into the team photo for one last time at the weekend as he delivered his emotional goodbye to supporters.

Gabriel, say those who have watched him develop over the past season and a half, still makes mistakes tactically, or charges out of defence when the urge takes him, but he has the speed to recover from his errors, and is making fewer of them.

He is aggressive, not just defensively but in terms of attacking set pieces, and is versatile enough to play at left-back when Villarreal have needed him there.

For a team who have had to play left-back Nacho Monreal in the centre of defence this season, he will be a welcome addition to an Arsenal dressing room that, fortunately for him, is not short of Spanish speakers.

He speaks no English but learnt Spanish in less than a year after his arrival at Villarreal. Now he will be able to converse with Monreal and with Santi Cazorla, who knows all too well what it is like to make the jump from Villarreal’s 25,000-capacity El Madrigal stadium to the Premier League.

Villarreal-based journalist Javi Mata told The Independent: “Gabriel is probably at 60 per cent of his potential so the opportunity is there for Wenger to develop a top defender. His capacity to improve game on game is tremendous and he’s the kind of player who will run into the post if that is what the coach demands.”

It has been a long time coming but, if the change from a small east coast town in Spain to London can be safely negotiated, Arsenal may have found the defender for whom they have been looking for so long. One who loves defending, who rarely gets injured, whose leap gets him to most headers, whose stride carries him confidently out of defence and whose rapid development has earned Villarreal a huge profit in less than two years.