Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista refusing to be distracted by reported Arsenal interest

Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista has insisted he will not be distracted by reported interest from Arsenal. The 24 year-old, who operates primarily as a centre-back, has admitted in the past that it he is eager to play in the English Premier League, though despite suggestions that his agent has held talks with Arsenal, he insists […]
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sambafoot_admin
2015-01-19 18:00:00

Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista has insisted he will not be distracted by reported interest from Arsenal.

The 24 year-old, who operates primarily as a centre-back, has admitted in the past that it he is eager to play in the English Premier League, though despite suggestions that his agent has held talks with Arsenal, he insists that he remains focused on Villarreal.

“Whether I go to Arsenal or stay at Villarreal, I won’t lose my head,” he said, as reported by website The Guardian. “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’s interest in Gabriel is born out of a lack of defensive cover. Manager Arséne Wenger has lost Mathieu Debuchy for the next three months due to a dislocated shoulder, while it could be argued that he is also yet to replace Thomas Vermaelen, who was sold to Barcelona for a reported fee of €10 million in August 2014.

Arsenal could use Villarreal’s alleged interest in loaning Costa Rica international Joel Campbell as a makeweight in a deal for Gabriel, but convincing them to sell will not be easy.

The São Paulo native – a reported €3.3 million signing from Vitória in August 2013 – is contracted to Villarreal until June 2018 and has featured 28 times in all competitions so far this season, including all 19 La Liga matches.

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