Arsenal and Manchester City have finally come to an agreement over the signing of Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian forward is now expected to join the Gunners in the coming days, with a £50m deal agreement between both sides.
A host of sides had been in contention to sign the Brazilian but Arsenal now look set to seal a deal for one of their priority targets this summer.
Having signed Jesus for 27m from Palmeiras back in 2017, City will be making considerable profit on the forward. The Brazilian played a key role last season, after City famously missed out on Tottenham talisman Harry Kane.
Given the arrival of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, a move for Gabriel Jesus makes sense, as he would have dropped even further down the pecking order.
From a Manchester City perspective, it also means they won’t lose Jesus on a free transfer, with the player’s contract due to expire in the summer of 2023. A reasonable amount of cash inflow will also help the Citizens balance their finances at a time where more and more people are calling for more scrutiny with regards to FFP rules.
It also means City have effectively gained their cash back as the reigning champions have also agreed a deal worth around £42million with add-ons for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips.
From being a squad player and struggling for gametime at City, Jesus will now see his status rise and would now become a key figure at the Emirates. Discussions remain ongoing between both sides but all talks could be concluded within the next seven to 10 days, as per an exclusive from the Daily Mail on Friday night.
What will Jesus bring to Arsenal?
From a tactical point, Gabriel Jesus will give Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta the flexibility to tweak many formations, especially in attack. The Brazilian can play as a central forward, meaning he can be deployed alongside Eddie Nketiah. He can also play on either side of the flank as he does with City and national side Brazil, meaning he can flourish in several setups. His pace and dribbling ability will also suit Arteta’s style of play.
If he is deployed upfront, he will excel properly with the likes of Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka pulling the strings behind him.
Jesus will also adapt quickly at Arsenal, given that the Gunners have a Brazilian contingent of their own in Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli. Ironically, that will make him the third ‘Gabriel’ at Arsenal. To go with, the forward has a good relationship with Mikel Arteta, having worked with the Spaniard during his time as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.
