Arsenal Transfer Update: Gabriel Jesus Joins Arsenal From Manchester City
Arsenal has finalized the acquisition of Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus for about 45 million pounds ($54 million), the London club said on Monday.
Jesus, who has 95 goals in 236 games for City, decided to leave the Premier League winners in pursuit of more consistent first-team activity and has now agreed to a “long-term deal” with Arsenal.
The Brazilian international has reconnected with Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal and a former assistant to Pep Guardiola at City, before taking over at the Emirates Stadium.
“I’m pretty happy. According to Arteta, the club has worked really hard to bring in a player of this caliber.
“We have managed to obtain a player that we all wanted, so I’m incredibly thrilled. This is a position that has been on our radar for a long time.”
READ MORE: Barcelona transfer news: Barcelona has signed Andreas Christensen as a free agent
If Jesus continued at City through the end of his contract year, it was predicted that he would drop the pecking order since the champions had added Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez to their roster of strikers.
Jesus acknowledged that the presence of Arteta at the Emirates had a role in his choice to sign with the Gunners, saying: “We chatted a couple of times about the club, the players, the vision, and the future.
“I have complete faith in Mikel. He’s a great man and instructor, and we had a great time together.
He was a significant assistance to me. After the training sessions, we would always remain a group and engage in some finishing.
He was a fantastic player and highly educated man; if he knew anything, he could share it with the younger guys or me.
In the previous six months, Arsenal let key forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette depart the team for no charge.
Jesus is anticipated to lead the line for Arteta’s team as the Gunners attempt to break a six-year absence from the Champions League, despite giving Eddie Nketiah a new five-year contract.
The 25-year-old joined City in January 2017 and went on to win eight major awards, including four Premier League crowns.
Arsenal has already bolstered Arteta’s team with the additions of Brazilian teenager Marquinhos, Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira, and Americans Matt Turner and Marquinhos.
They have also submitted a proposal for Leeds winger Raphinha, but it was rejected. They are also planning to submit another bid for the Brazilian international with a better offer.