Arsene Wenger talks up Gabriel Paulista's strengths following January move

Arsene Wenger has revealed that Gabriel Paulista's arrival at Arsenal will give them some much needed defensive cover with injuries to Mathieu Debuchy and Laurent Koscielny suffering from a persistent Achilles problem.

The former Villareal defender shall add pace and height to the Arsenal defence, who have been hopelessly exposed this season with injuries to key players. Calum Chambers is still young and has not been able to bridge the gap left by the departure of Thjomas Vermaelen to Barcelona in the summer.

Gabriel is known for his versatility and can play on both sides of a centre-back pairing and also at full-back. The 24-year-old is yet to get a single cap for the national team but has previously plied his trade in Brazil and Wenger believes that his ability to acclimatise himself in Spain will work to his advantage in the Premier League.

This is Arsenal's second signing in January, having previously secured the signature of 17-year-old Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw.

The Brazilian, however, is eligible for selection against Aston Villa when they visit the Emirates on Sunday, but it remains to be seen whether Wenger gives him some time to come to terms with the Premier League.

"He has good pace, he's good in the challenge and he's tall - so he can adapt to English football. Maybe it will take some time to adapt completely, but overall it's very good to have him," Wenger told the official Arsenal site.

"He's very ambitious, focused and serious. That's important at a club like ours - you need to have a complete focus on your job. He has that.

"I like the players who come from nowhere and show they can adapt. From Brazil, he has [then] adapted to Spain. That means he has already made it and adapted in another country. That's another important quality.

"We needed another centre back because we have lost Debuchy. Monreal can play centre back and we are a bit short there if something happens, especially with the Achilles [problem] of Koscielny since the start of the season.

"We needed some cover, or we would not be responsible. [Gabriel] can play right back and left back, and that is of course a good quality as well," he concluded.