Gabriel Paulista: stats and strengths of a possible Corinthians signing

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Central do Timão

·8 January 2026

Gabriel Paulista: stats and strengths of a possible Corinthians signing

By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial Team

As it nears a resolution for the transfer ban imposed by FIFA, Corinthians is active in the market seeking to strengthen its squad for the season. The first potential reinforcement for Timão is the defender Gabriel Paulista, 35 years old, who terminated his contract with Besiktas, Turkey, and is already negotiating with the Alvinegro.

Born in the capital of São Paulo, the defender went through the youth ranks of Taboão da Serra before moving to Vitória, where he was discovered. From there, he moved to Europe, where he built a solid career, although he remained off the radar for some Brazilians during this period. Therefore, Central do Timão provides an analysis of how the defender plays and how he can contribute to Corinthians' squad.

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Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Getty Images

Characteristics

Gabriel Paulista is a right-footed defender standing at 1.85m who, although he prefers the right side of the defense, can also play on the left if necessary. Despite his advanced age, the defender maintains good physical attributes, standing out for his strong defensive sprint and speed, characteristics that help him mainly in coverage.

From a defensive standpoint, the player shows good game reading, with the ability to anticipate plays and intercept passes, in addition to being efficient in aerial duels. Throughout his career, he has occasionally played as a full-back, although this is not a common role in his repertoire.

One of his trademarks is his more aggressive posture outside the defensive line, frequently stepping out to mark or intercept in more advanced areas, already in midfield. The main point of attention in his game is in one-on-one duels, where he has faced the low points of his career.

With the ball at his feet, Gabriel Paulista contributes to building from the defense, showing good passing between the lines and quality in long high passes, which broadens the team's play-out options.

In the last two seasons with Besiktas, Turkey, the defender had significant participation. In 2024/25, he played 28 of the 51 possible matches (55%), totaling 2,245 minutes on the field, although he missed 24 games due to injuries. In the 2025/26 season, he showed greater regularity, playing in 17 of 24 matches (70.8%), with 1,366 minutes, and missing only two games due to physical problems.

The numbers reinforce that, despite his recent injury history, Gabriel Paulista was frequently used in Turkish football. Proof of this is that the defender played eight times between November and December 2025, accumulating over 600 minutes played during this period.

Numbers

Gabriel Paulista posted consistent numbers with the Beşiktaş jersey throughout 2025, reinforcing his importance in the Turkish team's defensive system. The defender played in 29 matches during the season and also contributed offensively, with two assists, a significant contribution for a player in his position.

With the ball, Gabriel Paulista demonstrated quality in play-out, recording an 89% pass accuracy, a high rate for a defender. Defensively, the Brazilian maintained good performance in duels, with 67% overall efficiency and 71% success in aerial duels, according to statistics from the sports statistics app Sofascore.

The numbers of defensive actions also stand out. Throughout the year, the defender recorded 149 clearances and 213 defensive actions, being a constant presence in area protection. Even playing aggressively in marking, he only suffered seven dribbles throughout the season and did not commit any errors that resulted in an opponent's goal.

His performance throughout the year earned Gabriel Paulista an average rating of 7.16 on Sofascore.

Career

After starting his career at Taboão da Serra, Gabriel Paulista was signed by Vitória at the age of 18. In 2010, he was promoted to the main squad, where he remained until 2013. During this period, he played 141 games and scored seven goals. There, he won the Campeonato Baiano twice (2010 and 2013) and the Copa do Nordeste once (2010).

Still in 2013, he was signed by Villarreal, Spain, for approximately 3.3 million euros. At the Spanish club, he played 50 games before being transferred to Arsenal, England, in 2014, for 15 million euros. At the English club, he remained until 2017, playing 64 games, scoring one goal and providing one assist, in addition to winning two FA Cups (2014/15 and 2016/17) and one English Super Cup (2015).

In 2017, he was transferred for 11 million euros to the club he defended the most in his career: Valencia, Spain. There, he accumulated 220 matches, scored eight goals, and provided four assists, winning the Copa del Rey title in 2018/19.

After his contract ended in 2023, he signed with another Spanish club, Atlético de Madrid, where he played only five games. The stint was short, and the defender moved to Besiktas, Turkey, after ending his contract with the Spaniards.

At the Turkish club, the defender played 45 games, scored one goal, and provided three assists, winning the Turkish Super Cup in 2024. At the beginning of this year, he terminated his contract with the team seeking to return to Brazilian football.

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