Defender Gabriel Paulista Leaves Arsenal for Valencia on 5-Year Deal

Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista has completed his transfer from Arsenal to Valencia for an undisclosed fee, reported to be worth £10m.

The 26-year-old centre back has signed a five-year with the Spanish club, and his new contract includes an €80m release clause, as communicated on Valencia's website.

Gabriel - who joined Arsenal from Villarreal in January 2015 for around £11m - returns to Spain after making 64 appearances for the Gunners.

He made 19 outings for Arsenal last season in the Premier League and departs as a double FA Cup winner. However, he had become something of a backup option at the Emirates Stadium, behind the likes of fellow centre backs Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny in Arsene Wenger's pecking order.

Comunicado oficial | #SomGabriel 👉 https://t.co/i3B3GRnox3 pic.twitter.com/RcMF2bhs6I
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf) August 18, 2017

Gabriel, who will be presented to the media on Saturday, will now hope to make his Valencia debut in just over a week's time when his new club travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on La Liga title holders Real Madrid.