According to a report in The Telegraph, the Home Office have signed off on a work permit for Gabriel Paulista ahead of the Brazilian’s £11.3 million move to Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger hinted yesterday that he did not envisage a problem securing the necessary paperwork despite the fact he’s never represented Brazil.
The Gunners are understood to have pleaded Gabriel’s case citing both the player’s quality and the fact he’d adhere to new criteria set to be brought in next summer (granting all players signed for more than £10 million a work permit) as reasons for an immediate pass.
The positive decision means the 24-year-old could be available in time for Aston Villa’s visit to the Emirates on Sunday.
Arsenal are expected to announce a deal with Villarreal this evening.
Great news!
Wonder who leaked that official document picture?
Pay attention you all, as official as it seems, if you look carefully, and you need sharp eyes for this, the bottom border line doesn’t sync with the right side border, proves it’s fake.
Almost had us blogs, Almost.
I guess our transfer activity is over for this window? No DM?
Oh didn’t you hear, we bought a £20million DM called Francis Coquelin around the 1st. He was one of the only players to come away from Southampton with his head held high and did amazingly well against Hull, Stoke and Man City where he kept their star playmaker quiet all game.
See that’s how stupid these constant calls for a DM are when we have one that’s done the job we want a DM to do and he hasn’t cost us anything from our transfer funds.
Out of curiosity any news on a new contract for F Coquelin?
All reports so far are stating the same thing, that he is stalling to make sure he is an important part of the first team plans and will continue to be.
Now all we gotta do is make sure he is around next season. I know as Arsenal fans its easy to fear the worst, but I can’t get rid of the idea that the Coq is throwing himself out there for all to see… subsequently attracting a new owner.
Only logical conclusion: Wenger should drop him to force him to sign a contract!
From what we know, krystian Bieliek is a DM.
Coquelin and The Eagle are DMs. And if we really need one that’ll be done in the summer.
But we’ve got Arsene’s Coq…..
now, lets just hope his is actually an exceptional talent!
Arsenal buying when Euro came down.
I still can’t get used to Wenger’s openness about him and Bielik. It just doesn’t feel right.
I was thinking that. Maybe the guys behind the scenes, or he himself, thought it was a good idea to be a little bit more open in the media, as a concequence to all the shit some members of the fanbase have been giving Wenger recently about transfers.
No idea really, but it seems to me a way of steadying the ship
i think it was because he knew they were done deals that he was relaxed about talking about them. gave the fans and players a boost ahead of some key games (city and brighton). i think if they were still in the balance he’d have said nowt. maybe. total guess.
The club deserves serious credit for this transfer. We have rivals in the same predicament as us – Man U short in midfield and defense- yet in a difficult, limited transfer window, Arsenal have bagged a player in great form from one of the best defenses in La Liga (stats not opinion). They paid less than his buyout clause and secured him a work permit while trading a player from the bench. Great business, professionally handled. I’ll bet clubs and fans around the league are asking how Arsenal managed this and why their own clubs haven’t secured similar deals. It… Read more »
And we start playing counter attacking football again, With Theo, Wellbeck, Ox, Alexis and Ozil feeding those needle precision passes.
and our welsh-jesus playing as well as he did last season
Be our sturdy and reliable pillar in defence just like Gilberto was for us in midfield
Culled from The Guardian Here are some words on Gabriel Paulista from former Monaco sporting director – and all-round gentleman – Tor-Kristian Karlsen. Check out his Twitter feed for more. “I do like him, but have a few reservations. Pros: very very quick & agile, brave, versatile, takes no prisoners. “Style wise: an “adrenaline defender” (more Lucio than David Luiz) who’s probably better suited to Premier League than Spanish football. “Cons: I’ve followed him since his days at Vitoria and was intrigued to see him in Spain, but he hasn’t quite developed as much as expected. More of a utility… Read more »
Koscielny joined Arsenal when he was around 24/25 and we know how he turned out after that up and down first season.
yes, Kos became the boss..
in spite of him being send off on his debut game in PL..
so pauly will be just fine..
It’s like that comment was written by someone back in August. He’s come leaps and bounds in the last year; a year ago it would have been an accurate comment, now it sounds a bit out of date, like someone writing in January 2014 that Ramsey really needs to start scoring goals.
Will be fine once Bouldy gets hold of him..
With Bouldy training him up, he will no doubt improve and take his game to the next level.
Why has David Ornstein been so quiet on this?
His particular source(s) probably not involved in this?
He got embarrassed in the last transfer window.
Proclaimed that we were only in for a defender. Said all other news were false.
And then we signed Welbeck.
He can always come the same way all the other work permit holders here now , back of a lorry via Calais lol !!!
Anyway saw the Villa real’s last game and he seems to be an instinctive defender. Never gives you time on the ball, good timing with tackles and interceptions so the rest he can work on. Listen Mertersacker n Koscielny are better defenders now than when the arrived. This guy is even younger so can improve for sure. Welcome Paulista !!!
Ps.. Paulista > Paulinho all day
no, just no. and keep it to yourself.
i kid i kid. Just saying incase it was refused, we do need cover in defense
I thought this was funny…..please don’t hate me.
Side note: many may already have picked up on this, but it is worth noting that it’s “welcome Gabriel”, not “welcome Paulista”. Using Paulista as a surname is a bit like referring to Lee Dixon as “Mancunian”.
Obrigado
Osama ben Laden is actually Osama son of Laden, but that dont stop stupid peoples to keep calling him ben Laden all the time.
“… that dont stop stupid peoples to keep calling …”
I see what you did there!
Very exciting. Hopefully we rotate enough to keep everyone happy but not so much that we don’t benefit from a settled partnership.
This seems so … orderly.
I would like to get Admiral Ackbar’s take on this before getting happy.
It’s a trap!
Imagine Admiral Ackbar as a pundit on MOTD
Two new signings mid January in positions that we actually need? After beating the champions in their own back yard? Then seeing almost the entire top half of the table dropping out of the FA cup?
Think we all need a home spanking by Villa to calm down a bit.
Really hope he does well. Per and kos need help back there. Legs hanging off them
Nice one 🙂
He’s got some Sylvinho-esque Hampsteads on him.
On an unrelated note I just expanded my colloquial vocabulary.
That image made me laugh out loud, that’s why I love Arseblog 🙂
Great! No need for a consultancy with Silvinho for a special passport then.
I remember back to when Koscielny came to Arsenal how it took him a while to adjust to the PL and even Per with all of his experience took some time. We will have a very fast back four when Gibbs, Kos, Gabriel and Bellerin are back there this season, hopefully that will allow us to be a bit more aggressive defensively and play at a faster tempo against the top squads and not feel we have to sit back as much.
Because sitting back defensively has been Arsenal’s problem against the other top sides.
If you refer back to the absolute beatings we received last year, you’ll see how Mertesackers lack of pace was brutally exposed against the better sides. This is definitely not a post slating BFG, full backs both getting caught the wrong side of the half way line with no DM to cover for them meant that this was possible. But as has been evident this season against City & Chelsea away is that we have tightened up (full backs deeper, midfield not bombing away where ever they please) so hopefully with the added pace at the back we can afford… Read more »
Not saying bomb forward and leave space behind, but be more aggressively defensively higher up the pitch to win the ball back in more attacking positions (as we have done at times in home matches in CL play or against top sides the last few years when we’ve gotten off to fast starts). We have much more speed in the lineup now and more of an aggressive mindset on defense now with Sanchez, Wellbeck (when he plays), Carzola, Rosicky when he’s in there, Ramsey, Chamberlin, etc.. If we’ve got more pace in the backline we can compress the field more… Read more »
Fucking good point
It would have been the most Arsenal thing ever. If we had signed him.
Then it didn’t get passed.
So would that mean he could’ve play for us in European away fixtures.
Sort of like a time-share holiday home. Only its a Brazlian CB
This could have been a good start to a Rambling Pete ramble.
Where is rambling pete?
No Really. Where is he?
Help – I am too new to English Football – Amy Lawrence tweeted comparisons to Julian Dicks and Carlton Palmer – Is this a good thing or a bad thing???
Amy was being flippant (ish) ……but he does need bulking up
Kos was thin as Gabriel when he arrived 4 years ago
Yesss finally a proper centre back. Thank you aunt lizzie ( she must have had a quiet word with the home office )
It is a typical Wenger signing – potential, value and largely unknown – and notice the absence of any links to him in the proceeding months via the countless sh!thouse click-bait websites. Much like Koscielny he will indeed need some bedding-in time in the English game so please can we not direct our impatience at him until he’s had a fair chance to adjust?
*Preceeding*
*Preceding*
Exactly. Gabriel will certainly feature in the first team this season, but it takes time to integrate into a defense. He plugs a hole this year, but this is a signing for the future. Gabriel will probably be a mainstay at Arsenal after Wenger leaves to take the France job.
Let’s hope so. There’s a risk to every signing and he might not cut it but let’s give him a chance.
good news
Awesome news…
That picture is so official that I’m quivering
I can’t be the only one thinking that News Hound’s freehand underlining is top top quality.
He looks like a hard bastard. I like that.
Looks like a tough cookie. Very similar to Kos. Hope he has a great career with Arsenal. C’mon Gabriel.
I thought work permit document were slightly more elaborate than the one leaked by arseblog news. Top notch underlining though
Awesome signing but there is something fishy about this transfer but whatever “Wenger knows”.
Players coming back from injury. New signings.
Could be a very interesting second half of the season. Fuckin lovin it!
Villarreal: we will sell you Gabriel for 9.99 million.
arsenal: nonono… Please take 12.
Do you really think is a coincidence that we signed him at exactly the same time as the Euro went down?
As a Brazilian gooner, I am very happy with this! Knew of him, but never seen him play. After a youtube scout session I have to say I cant wait to see him in the famous red and white of the Arsenal. Think he is gonna make it a tough battle for PerKos, don’t think that at 24 n great season wity Villareal he will come to Arsenal to sit at bench. Great times ahead! COYG!
Shout out to Arseblog for doing what you guys do, big propz man. Everyday without fail im here.
Comment:Whats with the obession with speed fellow gooners. Organisation is more important and we all saw that koscielny is not that great as a leader. Thats why Sakho is ahead of him and Mangala for france. Mertesaker is and rightly should be the first name in defence when it comes to selection. But maybe Gabriel and Koscielny might make a better combination. I just hope we can revert back to our 2013 conservative football style, it is probably the best we have played in the past 5 years and might bring out the best in our players while stabalizing our… Read more »
Sakho is not that much of success at Liverpool. Was benched many times for bad performance. What does Mangala has to do with leadership, for now ? Coaches have their preferences plus Kos does not perform for France as well as he does for Arsenal.
I think people need to realise that even though we do not have much possession in the Man City game, we were hardly 2013 football.
Our current football is a lot more spontaneous, and less manufactured.
Huzzah sir, huzzah indeed! Welcome man, welcome.
There used to be a time when we would operate with enough stealth to make Lockheed jealous with regards to transfer dealings just to ward off vultures such as Chelsea, City and United. Now we are like a stout, yellow and ugly submarine without ballast tanks on a pond in central London not giving a single $%ck about any officious bystander! The openness and confidence with which we’ve handled our transfer dealings this season is truly refreshing and indicative that we’ve turned a corner in terms of parity in player purchases with Utd and the Sugar Daddy funded boutique clubs.
Well noted, sir.
Arsene’s resolute resolve in his vision looks to be coming to fruition. We’ve got quite a large squad full of variety in terms of talents and physique. Call me crazy, but I think we can pose a legitimate challenge in the CL this season. Our attacking verve is as good on the day as anyone’s and the cup draws have shed mercy on us thus far. It feels to me like the best chance we’ve had in Europe to make a deep run given our squad, the round of 16 draw (no disrespect to Monaco) and the state of some… Read more »
wenger is moving us forward. the last decade has been tough. we were in big debt with the new stadium yet we still got champo league every year and we still managed to sign world class talent (some guy called alexis sanchez ) wenger u r a football genius.
We’re still in big debt on the stadium, just a lot less debt than it was.
Why should there be a problem. MIld issue. Wenger’s track record should be enough. Media like to make a mountain out of a mole hill with regards Wenger’s batting average with defenders. Truth is he has had some noticeable flops in Andre Santos, Squillaci, Silvestre but he has also had success with Kolo Toure converting him into a Cback, poaching (saving) of Sol Campbell from Spurs, William Gallas, Per, Koscielny, Vermaelen (for a while), Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, Kieren Gibbs, Monreal, Eboue, Lauren, Sagna, Debuchy, Bellerin and Chambers. This is someone who has also successfully converted Henry into a striker,… Read more »
Wenger on convincing FA, “I’m the current longest serving PL Manager bitch”. Case close.
Gd news also if the team need more pacey players go for anya who plays for scotland