£11m Arsenal signing who made subtle dig at Arsene Wenger closing in on Turkey transfer

Former Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista is closing in on a move to Besiktas.

The 33-year-old, who spent two-and-a-half years at the Emirates, has been at Atletico Madrid for the past six months. He joined the club on a free transfer in January but has since struggled for game time, starting just five matches during his time at the Wanda Metropolitano.

In fact, Gabriel has made just one appearance since early March and is nearing on an exit having only signed a short-term deal with Atletico. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Brazilian is expected to join Super Lig side Besiktas. A medical has been booked in with the centre-back set to earn £1.6million per year.

Besiktas endured a difficult 2023/24 campaign, having finished sixth in the Turkish top-flight. They ended a mammoth 46 points behind winners Galatasaray and 43 adrift of second-place Fenerbahce. During the season, Besiktas lost 14 league matches - a staggering 10 more than the previous season.

Gabriel started his career at Vitoria in his native Brazil and moved over to Europe with Villarreal in August 2013. He spent a couple of years at the Estadio de la Ceramica before joining Arsenal for £11.3m. He struggled in his first few months in north London, making just eight appearances in the second-half of the 2014/15 season.

Opportunities were more regular in the following campaign, with Gabriel managing 19 Premier League starts. The Brazilian followed that up with 17 more starts in the top-flight in 2016/17 before leaving the club to join Valencia at the end of that season. He moved on a five-year contract.

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However, in 2019 before Valencia faced Arsenal in the Europa League, Gabriel sent a subtle dig at Arsene Wenger and claimed he did not get enough opportunities to impress. "Playing for Arsenal was an incredible experience that I will never forget," he said at the time.

"I like these types of games & the type of pressure that comes with playing against sides like Arsenal. I’m ready to do a good job & help the club go as far as possible in the competition.

"With all respect to Arsenal, I have nothing to prove to them anymore. I tried to prove my worth but I didn’t get the chances. I deserved more opportunities. I was sad because I knew I had the ability to play… But other people didn’t think so."