Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Gabriel Paulista from Valencia.

Gabriel signed for Arsenal from Villarreal at the end of January 2015 but lasted only 30 months before he was sold, for a loss of £3.6m, to Valencia.

The player spoke before the sides met in last season’sn’s Europa League, insisting he had nothing to prove to anyone at Arsenal. “With all respect to Arsenal, I have nothing to prove to them anymore,” Gabriel told the Independent. “In the Premier League, I tried to prove my worth but I didn’t get the chances.

“When I played, it was often because of an injury to my teammates. I deserved more opportunities. I was sad because I knew I had the ability to play. But other people didn’t think so. I’ve proven myself here and now I just want to keep showing what I can do for Valencia.”

In total Gabriel played 64 times for Arsenal over two-and-a-half seasons, amassing 5,160 minutes- an average of 80 per game. He also suffered injury problems of his own including a 108-day spell out with a knee injury.

Since his departure, he has shown himself to be the solid defender we all knew him to be so it’s no surprise to learn that Atletico Madrid, so famed for their defence, are interested in him.

Arsenal purchased Konstantinos Mavropanos the same summer they sold Gabriel. The 21-year-old Greek defender has so far made seven first-team appearances for Arsenal.