On Wednesday, Atletico Madrid officially announced the acquisition of Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista from Valencia, securing his services until the conclusion of the season.
Valencia confirmed that the 33-year-old center-back had reached an agreement to terminate his contract with the club. Paulista initially joined Valencia in 2017, transferring from Premier League club Arsenal, and made 213 appearances for Los Che during his tenure.
The move comes as Atletico's center-back Jose Gimenez sustained an injury in the team's 2-0 victory against Valencia on Sunday, with an expected three-week recovery period. With crucial matches against LaLiga rivals Real Madrid, Copa del Rey opponents Athletic Bilbao, and the impending return of the Champions League, Atletico acted swiftly to secure a replacement.
In addition to Gabriel Paulista, Diego Simeone's side has also bolstered their squad in the winter transfer window with the signings of midfielder Arthur Vermeeren from Royal Antwerp and goalkeeper Horatiu Moldovan from Rapid Bucharest.
Concurrently, Valencia made a move of their own, securing the loan of 21-year-old winger Peter Federico from Real Madrid on the same day.