Although Arsenal have been completely inactive in this transfer window, some of their ex-players have not, and former defender Gabriel Paulista has now made a surprise move.
Arsenal currently have a Brazilian centre-back in Gabriel Magalhaes thriving at the Emirates, but before him there was Gabriel Paulista, who arrived in January 2015 under Arsene Wenger.
The then-24-year-old joined from Villarreal for around £10m, as Wenger’s side was desperately lacking defensive cover, and he initially impressed, as his rugged nature endeared himself to the Arsenal fanbase early on.
However, he was still fairly raw, and made some rash errors. A severe loss in form saw him fall down the pecking order, before he eventually departed for Valencia in the summer of 2017. After nearly seven years at Mestalla, he has now moved again.
Gabriel Paulista joins Atletico Madrid
A surprise deal emerged as Fabrizio Romano revealed yesterday that the 33-year-old was set to terminate his contract at Valencia before joining Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.
Valencia have struggled for the last few years, narrowly escaping relegation last season, whilst Atletico are arguably strong contenders for the Champions League this season.
Gabriel Paulista was one of Valencia’s better performers in their recent difficult years, and was one of the last players remaining from their Copa Del Rey triumph in 2019, but has now officially moved across Spain to Madrid.
Gabriel Paulista improved after leaving Arsenal
Although he did show flashes of his best ability at Arsenal, he never truly became a reliable starter, but he managed this at Valencia, and even played against Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League semi-finals.
He made 64 appearances during his time at Arsenal, and overall would not be considered a success at the club. However, his spell at Valencia saw him appear 220 times, and he has now earned himself a move to a club in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
His move came as a result of difficulties within the Valencia hierarchy, and Atletico’s need for defensive depth, but it does highlight how he is now viewed as a mature, experienced, La Liga defender capable of playing at the top level, a far cry from the unreliable centre-back Wenger decided to sell seven years ago.
Gabriel was capable of playing across the back line, and his best performance arguably came at right-back against Manchester City in the 2017 FA Cup semi-final. However, he gave away a penalty in a crucial North London derby a week later, and was rarely seen again as Wenger lost patience with the Brazilian.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
