Arsenal has announced the signing of Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City.
Gabriel Jesus has finally been acquired by Arsenal from Manchester City in a transaction estimated to be worth £45 million.
After Jesus had his greatest season at the Etihad during Mikel Arteta’s final year as Pep Guardiola’s assistant, Arteta made it obvious to the club administration that he was really eager for a reunion. Both parties have done a bad job of keeping the move a secret.
Last week, the Gunners and the player reached a personal arrangement; however, an agreement with City over the transfer fee was still pending. Once that was fixed, everything went smoothly, and Arsenal now has the player they believe will propel them back into the Champions League.
The Gunners have been keen to bolster their attacking options in the summer transfer window following the decision to allow Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to join Catalan giants Barcelona back in January.
Fellow frontman Alexandre Lacazette has also left for former club Lyon, leaving Eddie Nketiah as the only recognized Centre-forward in the senior setup.
Football. London disclosed in April that technical director Edu had recently spoken with the player’s representation and that Manchester City striker Jesus was one of the names on the club’s shortlist of profiles.
The Brazilian international has now been formally introduced by the north Londoners as their fourth summer acquisition, joining Matt Turner, Marquinhos, and Fabio Vieira.
“Gabriel will wear the number 9 shirt and will join up with the Gunners squad for pre-season training soon,” Arsenal said in a statement. The striker has signed a long-term contract with the club in a deal worth £45m.
Edu, technical director at Arsenal, said: “We are delighted that we have secured the transfer of Gabriel. Everyone who knows football well knows the qualities of Gabriel Jesus.
“Gabriel is a player who we have admired for a long time now. He is 25 years old and an established Brazil international who has consistently demonstrated that he is a player at a very high level. We look forward to seeing him join up with his new teammates ahead of the new season. We all welcome Gabriel to Arsenal.”
Arteta said: “I’m very excited. The club has done a tremendous job to recruit a player of this stature. I know Gabriel personally very well, and we all know him well from his time in the Premier League and being really successful here.”
The 25-year-old had a strong season with City in 2021–2022, scoring 13 goals and dishing out another 12 assists across all competitions to help Pep Guardiola’s team win their fourth Premier League championship in as few as five years.
The former Palmeiras forward contributed 46 assists to his 95 goals for the Citizens in 14,267 minutes, or one direct goal contribution every 101 minutes.
When the Spaniard served as Guardiola’s assistant coach at the Etihad Stadium, Jesus collaborated with Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal.
“So he is really fantastic for us. All the players know that — everyone knows that in the club. He is a fantastic guy and fantastic manager.”
Jesus, who might be considered Arsenal’s first-choice forward, should expect to play in the majority of games at the Emirates.
Upon the release of images showing Jesus embracing the Gunners technical director Edu as he exited a blacked-out vehicle rumored to be parked at the team’s London Colney training facility, the excitement around the transfer reached new heights.
