Why Gabriel Paulista Must Follow Krystian Bielik as Next Arsenal Transfer

At long last, Arsenal have completed their first signing of the January transfer window. Unfortunately, the new arrival is not one of the senior recruits Gunners fans hoped for. Instead, manager Arsene Wenger moved to sign teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik, per Arsenal's official website. In order for Arsenal’s January transfer activity to feel anything like complete, they must follow up this move by recruiting Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista.

Bielik is an intriguing signing, but it's not one likely to immediately strengthen the first team. He is just 17, and although he has made a breakthrough with Legia Warsaw this season, the Premier League is a very different environment to Polish football. Wenger has intimated he will be part of the first-team squad, but it would be a significant surprise if he featured in more than an occasional cameo role between now and May.

It’s reminiscent of the deal that took Theo Walcott to Arsenal from Southampton. That was also a January deal for a 17-year-old. Although Walcott was considered a huge prospect, he did not figure once before the end of the season. Instead, the second half of the campaign was used as a period to bed Walcott into life at an elite club.

Bielik is likely to be put through the same process of adaptation, which is not particularly problematic for Arsenal. The emergence of Francis Coquelin as a viable option has somewhat assuaged their need for a holding midfielder.

The need for a new centre-back, however, remains acute. The loss of Mathieu Debuchy to a shoulder problem has stretched Arsenal’s defensive resources perilously thin. 

It seems Wenger has finally identified the man he wants: Gabriel. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a breakout season in Spain, earning plaudits for his aggressive man-marking style. Crucially, he’s versatile, too, able to play on either the left or the right of the central defensive partnership.

It was the player himself who revealed informal talks had taken place, per Liam Corless of the Daily Mirror, stating: "Whether I go to Arsenal or stay at Villarreal, I won’t lose my head. I’m very calm. My head is at Villarreal and I’m very focused. My agent is working on making sure I continue being calm."

Arsenal could be forgiven for thinking the Spanish club would not dare sell a player who has been instrumental in their push towards the upper echelon of this season’s La Liga table; however, per an interview on Spanish radio (via Corless) from manager Marcelino, they could be open to a deal:

"

I wasn’t upset by what Gabriel said. Every footballer has their own opinion.

I’m not annoyed because it’s his way of thinking and acting. He’s tremendously noble and an exemplary professional.

His head is here and he wants to keep demonstrating his worth here. On a sporting level, we’d like him to stay but we need to see his views and what the proposal is.

If both Gabriel and the club believe that his sale to Arsenal is the best for all parties, we will accept.

"

Perhaps Marcelino’s open-mindedness stems from the fact he knows a decision may be taken out of his hands. Corless' report suggests that Gabriel’s buyout clause sits at around the €20 million mark. If Arsenal were to trigger the clause by meeting that figure, there would be nothing Villarreal could do—assuming he obtained a special talent visa, the Brazilian defender would become a Gunner.

With the window approaching a close, it must be sorely tempting for Arsenal to do just that. Adding Gabriel to Bielik would ensure Wenger meets the minimum requirements for this crucial window.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.