Arsenal are in negotiations to sign Brazilian central defender Gabriel Paulista from Spanish club Villarreal, the Premier League club's manager Arsene Wenger said on Thursday.
“We are talking at the moment, can we find an agreement or not I don’t know,” the Frenchman told a news conference ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup, fourth round tie at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Arsenal allowed former club captain Thomas Vermaelen to join Barcelona last August and did not strengthen the central defensive areas which have been criticised this season.
Read more: The National’s Transfer Talk page
Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have been Wenger’s preferred duo at the back but neither have been entirely convincing during the first half of the season.
Paulista, 24, has a release clause in his contract, believed to be EU€20 million (Dh85.4m), and Wenger hinted that Arsenal could be prepared to meet it.
“We are progressing, there is a chance,” Wenger said.
“We are ready to pay the price for a good player, no matter what it is if we think it’s the right price, we will pay it.”
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Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
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SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
