Gabriel may have only just arrived, but Theo Walcott is liking what he’s seen so far.

Arriving on a long-term deal from Villarreal, Gabriel is expected to be included in Arsenal’s squad for their game against Aston Villa at the Emirates on Sunday.

Speaking to Arsenal.com, Walcott has revealed what he has seen from the Brazilian defender already during his short time at the club.

Walcott said

“I’ve only trained with him once and he likes to put his foot in, that’s for sure. He’s not afraid to do that which is good, especially in the Premier League where you need to get stuck into your tackles.

“He’s very tall – I didn’t realise how tall he was. He’ll only be tested when he plays in the Premier League. It will take time coming from a different country to learn the language, the culture, so everyone will be patient with him. Players that the boss plucks out seem to be good players so I’m sure he’s going to help us.”

With Arsene Wenger stating that Gabriel is a real defender, who loves to defend, he was keen to dismiss any speculation that he could be like the ex-Chelsea man, David Luis.

Wenger also backed up Theo’s claims that Gabriel loves to get stuck in when he told his pre-Villa press conference

“He has great commitment in the challenges and he’s young. He’s 24 years old and that’s a good age for a central defender. He’s ready to go – he’ll be in the squad [for Sunday] certainly. He started training yesterday and he looks fit.

“You always need time to adapt, especially in a defensive position because you need to know your partners. At the moment he does not speak a word of English and that can cost you goals. If you mix going forwards with going backwards, it can cost you.

“It is a position where you need to know your partners and you need to communicate as well. We will try to teach him the important words. ‘Offside’ for example or ‘Look at the linesman’!”