Per Mertesacker has insisted that he does not mind the added competition of Gabriel Paulista providing that his arrival helps Arsenal.

The Gunners bolstered their defensive options last month with a £13.5m swoop for the Villarreal man.

Mertesacker or centre-back partner Laurent Koscielny could drop out if Gabriel establishes himself as a first-team regular, but the German says that the team must go before anything else.

"He is a talent and I think we will get him to the level he needs because he has that potential," the German told the Daily Mail.

"From my point of view, it is very promising because we were short at the back, especially in the centre position. We suffered a lot and had to change so many positions.

"It was a needed position to get everyone going and keep him on his natural position is very important."

The Brazilian could make his debut in Saturday's visit to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.