Arsenal has signed Brazilian defender Gabriel Armando de Abreu from Villarreal for a fee of £11.3million.
This was confirmed by a tweet from the Twitter account of the club on Wednesday, January 28, 2015.
Gabriel is a Gunner! Send in your messages to @Arsenal's newest signing using #WelcomeGabriel pic.twitter.com/Xi0vG00opM
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 28, 2015
The 24-year-old who began his career with Esporte Clube Vitória in Brazil has been granted a work permit and the transfer is subject to the completion of further registration and regulatory processes.
Primarily a centre-back, Armando can also play at both right- and left-back, and provides defensive cover in Arsenal’s squad that has been lacking since Thomas Vermaelen’s departure for Barcelona in the summer.
‘I want to thank God for the opportunity,’ he told the club’s website
“I came from a club that is not that big in Brazilian football. I went to Spanish football and that was another dream come true, to play in Europe. A while ago I had a really huge desire to play in the Premier League, so since that point I put it in my head that I really wanted to do it. I had a talk with my family and I told them that it was my dream to play in the Premier League. Getting here to such a big club is so gratifying.
“I am arriving at a big club and the fans can expect to find a Gabriel with a great will to help everyone. Not just thinking of me as an individual, because to me that is not important. I care more about helping the team and my team-mates. I want to help everyone, so the fans can expect a Gabriel that on the field has a lot of will to be able to help the team win important things.”
