It seemed a polarising decision for Arsenal to sell defender Gabriel Paulista to Valencia this summer, and we at Daily Cannon conducted a poll to see whether fans backed the move.
Arsenal sold the 26-year-old to La Liga side Valencia for a fee believed to be in the region of £10m last week. And in a poll conducted by the Daily Cannon, the majority of supporters felt it was the right decision, despite Arsenal’s need for centre-backs.
Were Arsenal right to sell Gabriel Paulista to Valencia this summer? #AFC
— Crippy Cooke (@CrippyCooke) August 23, 2017
Gabriel never quite convinced during his time at the Emirates Stadium. Although arriving with some impressive stats, his performances were wildly inconsistent in an Arsenal shirt. There was always at least two defenders that Arsene Wenger preferred.
Nonetheless, he could have had a part to play this season with Wenger opting to continue using a back three. Gabriel’s injury at the end of last season ensured we’d be starting this season playing left-backs in our back three.
The Brazilian might have been very useful to have around as cover as a result. As it is, his sale leaves Arsenal a bit short at the back. Perhaps it would have been safer to delay his sale until the situation at the back was a bit more stable.