Arsenal Closing in on Gabriel Jesus, Agent Flying to London to Close Deal

Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City

According to latest reports, Arsenal are close to signing Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City. The player’s contract with City lasts till June 2023 and it looks like Pep Guardiola does not have a place for him in his squad. The Citizens completed the signing of Erling Haaland a few days ago and that convinced the Brazilian to make a switch. City were not onboard with Jesus leaving but Guardiola understands the player’s need for first-team football.

Despite Sergio Aguero leaving the club, the 25-year-old did not become the first team striker for Man City. He struggled for regular game time this season. Guardiola even opted to play a system without a proper striker or he mostly played Jesus on the right of a front three. However, the striker did put in a few good performances this season despite the severe lack of game time.

Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City, Arsenal — Image obtained via ESPN

According to The Times, Arsenal will be offering just below £50 million as they are closing in on a deal for Jesus. Manchester City wanted £50 million for the Brazilian striker. Although the Gunners did not match City’s valuation, it seems that they are the best bidders of the lot. It is understandable for the Gunners as they made it a priority to sign a striker following the departure of Alexandre Lacazette to Lyon.

There was an instance when Arsenal were shocked to find out that Manchester City had offered Gabriel Jesus to Chelsea to speed up the transfer process as the Blues are more capable of paying the asking price. However, that does not seem to be the case anymore as the North London side are progressing with the deal for the striker.

According to Goal, the 25-year-old’s representatives will be travelling to London to push through a move to the Emirates Stadium. Moreover, the player is not interested in moving to any other club. The Gunners are looking to get the deal done by this week.

"Gabriel Jesus is not interested in any of the other teams that are interested in him." ❌

According to reports, the Gunners could get the deal done this week… ✍️#AFC #Arsenal #ManCity #Jesus pic.twitter.com/JDlkroS9ii

— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) June 21, 2022

Arsenal recently renewed the contract of Eddie Nketiah and he is the only striker that the North Londoners have right now. Moreover, he is still in the developing stage and has a lot to learn before starting games week in and week out for a club like Arsenal. They will need an experienced firing striker who will help them win trophies.

How Gabriel Jesus Will Fit Into This Arsenal Side?

Mikel Arteta has mostly used a 4-2-3-1 system and that could be continued for the next season. That will not affect Jesus’ playing style majorly and he will still be able to do what he does best. He is a very hard-working player and does his part in winning the ball back. The Brazilian is the one who starts the counter-press and helps his team win the ball higher up the pitch.

To add to that, he is an extremely unselfish player who always puts his team ahead of himself. It could be said that this unselfishness might have cost him his place in the Man City line-up. However, Arteta on the other hand will be delighted to have such a player on his side. It was difficult for Jesus to get picked in the lineup at the Etihad, considering their richness in depth, but that won’t be the case at Arsenal.

Jesus has netted the ball 95 times in 236 appearances for the Citizens (stats via transfermarkt). The striker signed for City when he was just 19-years-old. He will certainly score goals for Arsenal consistently as he has displayed his scoring capability whenever he has stepped onto the pitch for City. The only thing that Arteta’s men have to do is to create enough chances for the Brazilain to score.

Another plus point of having Jesus is that he is capable of playing different roles. He can play as an out-and-out striker or even as a false-9. Nevertheless, Arteta is more likely to include the centre-forward in the play-making process considering the passing education he has received under Pep Guardiola. The 25-year-old striker can revive his career with the extreme potential he has. He could be the perfect signing for Arsenal for years to come.

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