Arsenal have officially announced the departure of defender Gabriel to Valencia on a permanent basis.
The Brazilian has left the Gunners following a two-year spell where he made 64 appearances across all competitions.
Earlier this week, the player had been linked with a potential £10m move to Valencia with Arsene Wenger insisting that he wants to reduce the numbers in his first-team squad.
Gabriel had arrived for his medical with Los Che yesterday, and it is now official that he has parted ways with the club in order to return to La Liga.
A statement on the club’s official website read:
“The Sao Paulo-born defender made a total of 64 appearances for us, following his arrival from Villarreal in January 2015.
We would like to thank Gabriel for his contribution to the club and to wish him well for his return to La Liga with Valencia.”
Gabriel had his best performance in the 2-1 triumph over Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup semi-final where he was praised for his tough tackling and aerial dominance.
Despite his showing, the Brazilian could not make it to Wembley as he damaged his knee ligaments in the final league game against Everton.
The 26-year-old played no part in the Gunners’ pre-season due to his knee injury, and he has now been allowed to pursue a fresh challenge, where he will seek to revive his career.
Gabriel’s departure is unlikely to have a major impact on the Gunners’ backline with the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Shkodran Mustafi, Nacho Monreal and Rob Holding capable of slotting into the back three.
