Arsenal transfer news and rumours: Paulista to be confirmed TONIGHT; Real open to selling £40m Benzema; Gunners warned off Dybala

The latest transfer talk surrounding the Emirates Stadium

Gabriel Paulista is closing in on a move to Arsenal (GETTY IMAGES)

'Very, very, very close'

The £11m transfer of Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal is set to be announced today, with Arsene Wenger revealing last night that the deal for Villarreal's Brazilian centre-back was "very close to being agreed.

The 24-year-old is undergoing a medical with the Gunners today, and has now been granted a work permit to join the Premier League club.

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"It's very very very close, and I think we’ll get over the line tonight and tomorrow," Wenger said.

Paulista will be Arsenal's second signing in this window after teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik, 17, joined the club earlier this month from Legia Warsaw.

Joel Campbell has moved in the other direction on loan for the remainder of the season as part of the deal.

Benzema bonus...

Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are all on red alert after reports from Spain emerged suggesting that Real Madrid are open to selling Karim Benzema.

The French striker is contracted to Real until 2019, but the La Liga side are believed to be open to selling the 27-year-old.

Gunners labelled vultures...

Arsenal been warned off Palermo starlet Paulo Dybala, with the club's president, Maurizio Zamparini calling his suitors "vultures". The 21-year-old Argentinean striker has been in fine form for the Serie A side this season, scoring 10 goals in the division.

"We are very close to a contract renewal and it’s a matter of days, but the negotiations are being complicated by the vultures circling him,” he said.

“Due to this pressure, it will be difficult to keep hold of him at the end of the season. I don’t want to sell my best players, it is they who cannot say no when offered four or five times what they can earn here. However, if I find a strong economic partner, then I’m keeping him.”

Joao Pereira in action for Portugal (Getty Images)

Here we Joao...

The Gunners are weighing up an offer for Valencia's Portuguese right-back Joao Pereira, the Daily Star have reported. The report says that he is available this month.

Jenkinson out?

According to London24, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to make Gunners' right-back Carl Jenkinson's loan move permanent.