Brazilian centre-back Gabriel completed his move to the Emirates Stadium from Villarreal on Wednesday, in a deal that saw Joel Campbell head in the other direction on loan.
Gabriel, who can also play at full-back, spent two years in la Liga and Wenger believes the defender has already proved that he is capable of coping with a new environment.
"He has good pace, he's good in the challenge and he's tall - so he can adapt to English football," Wenger told Arsenal's official website.
"Maybe it will take some time to adapt completely, but overall it's very good to have him.
"He's very ambitious, focused and serious. That's important at a club like ours - you need to have a complete focus on your job. He has that.
"I like the players who come from nowhere and show they can adapt. From Brazil, he has [then] adapted to Spain. That means he has already made it and adapted in another country. That's another important quality."
Wenger stated that Gabriel's versatility was an important factor in his pursuit of the 24-year-old.
"We needed another centre-back because we have lost [Mathieu] Debuchy," he added. [Nacho] Monreal can play centre-back and we are a bit short there if something happens, especially with the Achilles [problem] of [Laurent] Koscielny since the start of the season.
"We needed some cover, or we would not be responsible. [Gabriel] can play right-back and left-back, and that is of course a good quality as well."
