Gabriel has opened up on the rift with "coaching staff" which he says played a part in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving Arsenal.
The Brazilian confirmed there was no bad blood with other players at the London club, after the Gabon striker contacted former colleague Alexandre Lacazette in the wake of Arsenal's last-gasp victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday.
Aubameyang joined Barcelona in February, leaving north London by mutual agreement a mere two months after being stripped of the club captaincy by manager Mikel Arteta.
The 32-year-old has already got off the mark for his new club, and now Gabriel - who played countless times with Aubameyang for the Gunners - has spoken highly of a player who he maintains has "a good heart".
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"Aubameyang is in my heart, we all wanted him at Arsenal," former Lille defender Gabriel told Ohmygoal (via football.london ).
"It's something that happened between him and the coaching staff, the other players weren't in it.
"I said goodbye to him before he left, I hope he enjoys Barcelona, he is a very nice person with a big heart and I love him very much."
Aubameyang is one of a number of Arsenal players allowed to leave on a free by Mikel Arteta, though the manager has earned the support of former Gunners star Bacary Sagna for his decision.
The former club captain lost the armband after a disciplinary breach in December, and Sagna told BettingExpert: "[Arteta] always prioritises the group and the team, so it seems like that's exactly what he did by selling Aubameyang."
“I think they want to build something great. They want a group to look forward and move in the same direction, and it seemed like Arteta or the club didn't agree any longer with Aubameyang," the Frenchman said.
Since moving to La Liga, Aubameyang has already been among the goals in a Barcelona shirt.
A goal against Napoli in the Europa League was his fourth in five games for Xavi's side, putting him just three short of the tally he managed in an Arsenal shirt in the first half of the season.
Speaking to Sport shortly after his move, Aubameyang made his feelings clear about his departure from a club for whom he scored 68 Premier League goals.
"I have many friends in my previous teams, I don't forget them," he said.
Arsenal have won all three of their games since Aubameyang's departure, keeping themselves in Champions League contention in the process.
Two of those victories came against Wolves, with Gabriel scoring the only goal of the game at Molineux, and the Gunners sit two points off fourth-place Manchester United with three games in hand over Ralf Rangnick's side.
