Very little is known of the 24-year-old Brazilian outside of la Liga, but if Villarreal based Spanish journalist Javi Mata is anything to go buy it would appear that Arsenal could very well have signed a defensive gem.
Villarreal’s scouting network in South America is very good with Gabriel being seen as the clubs next Diego Godin, a Uruguayan international who was a stalwart in their defence from 2007 to 2010.
Speaking no English his arrival at the Emirates Stadium may come as a bit of a shock compared to the 25,000-capacity El Madrigal stadium that he is used to playing in but his physical presence should be well suited to the English game.
For what Arsenal fans can expect listen to what Mata had to say regarding the young defender telling 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.
Let’s hope he lives up to Mata’s words and becomes an Arsenal great.
