Arsenal Having Difficulty In Securing The Services Of Gabriel Paulista

Gabriel Paulista, the 24 year old Brazilian, uncapped in the senior national team who presently plays for Villarreal is currently engaged in a negotiation with Arsenal to bring the centre-back to London. Arsenal are short of numbers at the back and desperately need to sign defenders before the January transfer window shuts down in about a week’s time.

The main problem in bringing the Brazilian is securing a work permit. Rules in England states that for a non-European Union passport holder to play in the Premier League the concerned player will have to represent a nationality with FIFA rankings below 70 and will have to play at least 75 percent of their country’s international matches in the last two years. As Pailista has not done the latter the Arsenal management will have to convince the UK Home Office that the defender is an “exceptional talent” and therefore should be given a permit to play.

Arsenal boss came down heavily on the new Football Association rule where they wish to reduce the number of non-European Union players by up to 50%. Wenger things that it a wrong approach to take. He feels that if Premier League wishes to be the most attractive league in the world then there should not be any boundaries attached and the best players should have the license to play irrespective of their nationality.

“One thing is for sure, if you put a young player with top level players, he has more chance to develop. If you put him with average players he has more chance to remain average”, Wenger said to corroborate his point further. He also pointed out that Arsenal had spotted Angel Di Maria as a 17 year old and wanted to sign him. Unfortunately he could not get a work permit and therefore could only come to play in England after paying a British record fee of £59.7m.

According to Daily Star Manchester United are also making a last ditch attempt to highjack the deal and bring Paulista to Old Trafford. The United management are willing to match any offer that Arsenal are making for the defender.

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