According to French journalist Julien Laurens, Steve Bould was the catalyst behind the signing of Gabriel Paulista.
Laurens was speaking at an AST meeting on Monday night, and spoke of Bould’s growing influence at the club.
JL says Steve Bould’s influence at Arsenal has grown in the time he has been assistant & he pushed Arsène into signing Gabriel in January.
— FK² (@fkhanage) April 27, 2015
There had been rumours that Bould’s influence had been restricted by Arsene Wenger’s dominance in managerial decisions. But if Laurens is to be believed, Bould identified Gabriel as a suitable addition to the squad. From what we’ve seen so far, that was a good call.
The Brazilian has the pace and power to help him in the Premier League. The fact he hasn’t made an awful error yet is a boost, the likes of Sebastien Squillaci have scarred me.
Bould obviously has managerial qualities and his defensive experience will hopefully see his continued contribution within the management unit at the club. I don’t think one man can be solely responsible for a team of Arsenal’s size, so it’s nice to hear that Wenger is willing to accept help from other parts of the management, it’s about time.