It has been widely known that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal is in need of a new centre forward in this year’s summer transfer window. Club captain Alexandre Lacazette has left the club this month following the expiration of his contract, leaving only 23 year-old Eddie Nketiah as the club’s only regnonised senior striker.
However, Technical Director Edu Gaspar was keen to quickly rectify this issue, many names were allegedly discussed – with interest in Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Italian Gianluca Scamacca of Sassuolo being reported. Despite these names, Mikel Arteta appears to have secured his man – in the form of Brazilian Gabriel Jesus in a deal totalling to just above £50 million, with £45 million upfront and a further £5 million in certain additional terms.
The Brazilian is no stranger to Arsenal and English football fans as a whole – with the 25 year-old being a part of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City winning machine since he was signed from Palmeiras for £27 million in the summer of 2016 back when he was 19. Since then, Jesus has become an established name at the top level of the game. Despite never being a nailed on starter at the Manchester club – mostly due to the level of quality depth Guardiola has at his disposal – Jesus has achieved 95 goals in 236 appearances for City – with 20 of those coming in the UEFA Champions League and 58 in the Premier League, making him City’s third highest scorer since the formation of the Premier League in 1992. Impressive numbers when you consider that this is a player who is not only still young but also with many of his appearances coming from the bench. Since signing for City, Jesus has become a particular favourite amongst the club’s fans, due to his high work-rate and admiral attitude. The Brazilian has also gained a reputation as a big-game player after goals against the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool.
Gabriel Jesus is also no stranger to winning trophies (take notes Harry Kane) with him being a part of a City side who’s dominated the English game in recent years. Jesus’s trophy haul consists of 4 Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup, 4 Football League Cups and 2 Community Shield Titles. As well as 1 Brazilian Top Flight League Title, 1 Brazilian Cup, 1 Copa America Title and 1 Olympic Gold Medal with Brazil as the country’s city of Rio De Janeiro hosted the 2016 Olympic Games.
However, with Manchester City signing two new forwards this summer in the form of River Plate’s Julian Alvarez and Borussia Dortmund’s Eirling Haaland – pushing Jesus further down the pecking order in Guardiola’s side. But this wouldn’t remain the case for long – with an escape route being offered to the Brazilian – in the form of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
The transfer itself makes sense for all parties involved. Arsenal need a new top striker capable of firing the club back into the UEFA Champions League and beyond, City no longer need Jesus and at Arsenal – the player himself will be at a club in which he will be the focal point of a young, talented and improving team. Another way it makes sense is that Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta knows Jesus well – being at Manchester City as Guardiola’s assistant at the time of Jesus’s signing. As well as the forward possessing many traits which the Spaniard is likely to like as his main striker. Jesus possesses great pace, dribbling and movement. As well as great resilience and work-rate with Pep Guardiola describing him as “The world’s best pressing striker”, which fits the fact that Arteta wants his Arsenal side to press from the front.
The deal is set to be officially announced this Friday 1st July after Jesus completed Medical tests and visited London Colony to go through club media duties on Tuesday. Jesus was also spotted at Emirates Stadium with some film crew wearing the number nine on the back of his new shirt – confirming the fact he will be taking over the number from Lacazette.
Overall, in my personal belief I think Arsenal have got a great striker for a great deal. The striker market is famously thin so being able to acquire a player of Jesus’s age and undoubted talent and quality for a price of £45 million is quality business from Edu and Arteta. As well as the fact that this is a player who should fit Arteta’s Arsenal like a glove.
Welcome to the Arsenal Gabriel Jesus.