Arsenal appear to be closing in on the signing of Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus…
What’s the word
As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners’ deal to bring the Brazil international to the Emirates Stadium is now “very advanced”, albeit with north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain waiting to pounce should the situation change.
Writing on Twitter about the situation, the transfer guru stated: “Gabriel Jesus deal update. Arsenal are working on it and negotiations are very advanced – Arsenal will now need to be fast on final, key details involving player/agents to get the deal done and avoid twists.
“Tottenham & PSG, still waiting to see the end of this story.”
This aligns with a report from Goal’s Charles Watts, who suggested that negotiations regarding a possible £50m deal are now at a ‘critical stage’, with the player seemingly set to be moved on by the Etihad outfit with just a year remaining on his existing deal.
Supporters will love it
It would appear then that Jesus is edging ever closer to joining Mikel Arteta’s side, with the Spaniard seeking a reunion with the player having coached the striker during his spell working under Pep Guardiola at City.
While doubts remain over his preferred position – as voiced by South American football expert Tim Vickery – the former Palmeiras man is seemingly set to be the answer to the Gunners’ centre-forward woes, having seen Alexandre Lacazette return to Lyon this summer.
A deal has been struck to keep academy graduate Eddie Nketiah at the club on a long-term basis, although doubts remain regarding whether Arteta fully trusts the 22-year-old, having only handed him his first Premier League start of last season on 16 April.
Although he did go on to net five top-flight goals in the remainder of the season, the Englishman will seemingly only provide cover to a new centre-forward addition, with Jesus looking like being the club’s new figurehead moving forward.
The £45m-rated man may not be totally prolific – having never scored more than 14 goals in a league season in English football – yet his overall record during his time in Manchester has no doubt been impressive, scoring 95 goals and registering 46 assists in 236 games in all competitions since signing on a £27m deal in 2016.
That tally includes a respectable eight goals and a further eight assists in the most recent campaign, helping Guardiola’s men to secure what was his – and the club’s – fourth league triumph in the past five seasons.
That title-winning experience could no doubt prove a huge asset to a largely youthful and inexperienced Arsenal squad, while such a deal would mark something of a separation from last summer, when the club targetted emerging, young prospects.
The acquisition of the £91k-per-week speedster would prove a major coup for all concerned, with supporters surely loving Romano’s latest update on the club’s pursuit of the Brazilian.
