Gabriel Paulista Transfer Adds Urgently Needed Defensive Competition at Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has finally got his man. Arsenal have seemingly been chasing a centre-half since the summer of 2012, when the versatile Alex Song’s move to Barcelona left them light of cover. Since then, a succession of injuries and the departure of Thomas Vermaelen have made a chronic situation acute. 

However, the Gunners have now landed a new defender in the shape of Brazilian Gabriel Paulista. The 24-year-old arrives with a growing reputation after an impressive spell with Villarreal, and Wenger seems enamoured with his determined personality.

He told Arsenal's official website: "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."

He has ability, too. Gabriel is a rugged centre-back in the classic South American style. However, his physical approach is completed by speed over the ground.

That makes him an ideal alternative to Laurent Koscielny. The Frenchman is currently dogged by a persistent Achilles problem which means it is unlikely he will be able to play every game between now and May.

Per Mertesacker requires a central defensive partner with pace to cover for the deficiencies in his game. The arrival of Gabriel means Wenger should be able to rotate Koscielny more easily, affording him rest when required.

Tactical analyst Michael Cox expanded about the parallels between Koscielny and Gabriel on Arsenal's website:

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Gabriel’s style is summarised by one simple statistic: in La Liga this season, only two players have made more than his 66 interceptions.

Some centre backs are happy to sit deep and soak up pressure before making headed clearances. Not Gabriel—he wants to play high up the pitch and sneak in ahead of opponents to win the ball quickly. In that sense, he shares some qualities with Laurent Koscielny.

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Meanwhile, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague confirmed that even Gabriel’s former manager, Marcelino, had spotted the similarity: "I was saying to Marcelino that he reminds me of Thomas Vermaelen but he said that Gabriel was more like Laurent Koscielny. Like both of them, when he first arrived at the club he was a bit light and had to get stronger, but in terms of centre-back qualities, he’s there."

Gabriel may not be a household name in England, but nor was Koscielny when he first arrived from Ligue 1’s Lorient. He was the same age as Gabriel when he joined Arsenal, and within two years had established a reputation as one of Europe’s finest centre-halves. The Brazilian will now seek to do the same.

Petros Karadjias/Associated Press

What’s most intriguing about this deal is that Arsenal have bought a player who will not be content to be a reserve. Wenger has never paid more for a centre-back, so it’s clear that he believes in Gabriel’s potential.

For the first time since Vermaelen followed Song to Barcelona, Arsenal have genuine competition at centre-back. That ought to bring the best out of Mertesacker, Koscielny and Gabriel. With the dropping of Wojciech Szczesny and promotion of Francis Coquelin, there are signs that Wenger is once again adopting a meritocratic selection policy at Arsenal. A big name is not a guarantee of a starting place—just ask Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, who have both been made to bide their time on the bench in recent weeks.

In time, Gabriel could be a major beneficiary of Wenger’s new ideology: He is not just here to provide cover and will be determined to win a regular place.

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.