Football
9y

Arsenal confident of Gabriel Paulista deal despite work permit issue

LONDON -- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed "talks are progressing well" as he looks to sign Villarreal's Gabriel Paulista, although there is uncertainty over whether the defender will be granted a work permit to play in England.

The Gunners have been linked with a move for Gabriel, 24, with Villarreal coach Marcelino accepting that the transfer will likely go through if the player's buyout clause is met.

And Wenger, speaking at a news conference on Thursday, revealed that the transfer fee being discussed between the two clubs is 20 million euros.

"Talks are progressing quite well," he said. "Can we find an agreement? I don't know. We are slowly progressing and there is a chance.

"It is 20 million euros, which is 15 million pounds. We are ready to pay the price we think is right for a good player. If we think it is the right price, we will pay."

However, when pressed on the prospect of Paulista signing for Arsenal this month, Wenger suggested there was only a "50-50" chance, with the issue over his work permit casting doubt around any possible deal.

Paulista does not qualify automatically for a work permit as he does not have a European passport and has not played the required number of games for the Brazil national team.

Wenger and Arsenal would need to convince a tribunal that Paulista falls into the "exceptional talent" category if they are to be successful in their bid to bring him to the club.

A new rule in the Premier League is to be introduced that will grant a work permit for signings costing more than 10 million pounds but that will not come to pass until next summer, and Wenger is keen to push the transfer through this month.

"First of all, I don't understand the logic of this [work permit] rule," he said. "If the player we want needs a work permit, we will defend [try and get] it now. We don't want to do it in the summer. We are short now and no matter what the rules are now, we have to do it.

"We don't know [about the work permit]. We respect the rules in England. We go in front of a commission and they tell us, OK, yes or no. We accept that and respect that. Are the rules right or not? That can be discussed.

"The logic that the availability of the work permit is the amount of money you spend, that is not how it should be. It should be linked to the quality of the player. The amount of money you spend is not directly linked to the quality.

"It is linked to availability of the player and your financial potential. The 75 percent rule [of international games having to be played] can also be questioned. It is much more difficult to make 75 percent of games for Brazil than it is Luxembourg. It is difficult to make a rule to satisfy everybody."

Wenger also confirmed that Arsenal have offered a new contract to midfielder Francis Coquelin, who impressed in a holding-midfield role in the Gunners' 2-0 win against Manchester City last weekend.

Coquelin is out of contract at the end of the season, but Wenger is convinced he can play a big role in the club's future.

"We offered him a new deal. I'm confident that it will be done," Wenger said of player that previously spent a loan spell at Charlton this season before being recalled.

"I can see that he has made huge improvements in training. For him to have a potential chance, he needs match practice and he went somewhere else [on loan]. He took that challenge on loan and came back and now he is doing well.

"Of course he is a young player and if you look just at what's happening on the pitch, he wins the ball and makes a good pass. In his position, that is the most important."

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