Arsene Wenger is reportedly considering the sale of defender Gabriel to raise funds for new arrivals, as well as trimming the playing squad, with Valencia keen on the player’s signature.

According to The Sun, Valencia have shown a real interest in Gabriel this summer and could make a formal approach to procure his signature. The La Liga side could offer £10m, which would be less than Arsenal paid Villarreal for the centre-back in January 2015, but the bid may still be accepted.

Arsene Wenger has a bloated first-team squad, reportedly featuring 33 players, meaning eight have to be sold or removed from the senior setup. Gabriel may be deemed expendable given he played second fiddle to the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi last season, while Rob Holding now stands in his way of a starting place.

Although the Gunners are looking thin on cover at the back, with Per Mertesacker currently suffering from a facial injury and retiring next summer, while Calum Chambers has been linked with an exit to Crystal Palace. As a result, Gabriel might be worth retaining until Arsenal find a replacement.

If Wenger is going to start the new Premier League season with a 3-4-2-1 formation, Arsenal will need at least two defenders providing cover. But given Gabriel made just 15 Premier League starts in 2016/17, he may be deemed surplus to requirements.