Atletico Madrid announced the signing, albeit only until the end of this season, of Brazilian center-back Gabriel Paulista, 33, after passing the relevant medical examination and signing his contract with the red and white club. He arrives following the termination of his contract with Valencia.

"The experienced central defender boasts an impressive track record in LaLiga, the Premier League, and European competitions," highlighted Atletico in an official statement on their website.

This marks the sixth, and presumably the final, move for Diego Simeone's team in this winter transfer window. Two other players have arrived (goalkeeper Horatiu Moldovan and midfielder Arthur Vermeeren, from Rapid Bucharest and Antwerp, respectively), while three have departed: Ivo Grbic, transferred to Sheffield United, and Javi Galán and Caglar Soyuncu, loaned to Real Sociedad and Fenerbahce, respectively.

The departure of the Turkish center-back, along with injuries to César Azpilicueta, who has around a month and a half left on the sidelines due to a meniscus injury suffered two weeks ago, and José María Giménez, with a muscular ailment keeping him out for one to two weeks, prompted Atletico to turn to the market to sign another defender for the remainder of the season.

The objective, now fulfilled, was Gabriel Paulista, who has also terminated his contract with Valencia, as announced earlier today by the club where he played 220 official matches out of the 245 he was called up for, 211 of them as a starter, over the last six and a half seasons. He was one of the team captains.

"Since his arrival in August 2017, the Spanish-Brazilian defender has shown exemplary commitment and dedication throughout this journey, winning the Copa del Rey in 2019 and reaching the final of the Copa del Rey in 2022," highlighted Valencia, wishing him "the best of luck in his new stage."

Gabriel Paulista's contract with Valencia had a clause that would have automatically extended it for another season until June 2025, with a significant increase in salary if he reached a certain number of matches. Faced with this situation and the club's reluctance to assume such a financial burden, Valencia encouraged the player to seek an exit. This contract was signed in January 2021.

"The Spanish-Brazilian central defender has a distinguished career with experience at the highest level, having played not only in LaLiga but also in the Premier League, the Champions League, and the Europa League," emphasized Atletico about the player, who, before Valencia, spent two and a half years at Arsenal from 2014-15 to 2016-17, with 64 appearances, and another season and a half at Villarreal, with 50 official matches between 2013-14 and the first half of 2014-15.

The player, who arrived in Madrid on Tuesday evening, will be available for Diego Simeone for the upcoming derby against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday, where he will compete for a starting position with the other four currently available central defenders: Axel Witsel, Mario Hermoso, Stefan Savic, and Reinildo Mandava.