Thursday, March 28, 2024

Jesus ‘likes’ Arsenal

The agent of Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus has confirmed he’s held talks with Arsenal about a potential transfer and that the player ‘likes’ Mikel Arteta’s project.

Having tried and failed to recruit a striker in January, it’s no secret that the Gunners need to reinforce the attacking department this summer.

It appears the Brazil international is high up the list and that talks have been ongoing for several weeks.

Fuelling speculation that Jesus could leave the Etihad is Pep Guardiola’s decision to recruit two new strikers of his own – Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and Julian Alvarez from River Plate.

Signed from Palmeiras for £29 million in 2017, Jesus has scored 95 goals and made 46 assists in 234 appearances for City.

“We had talks with Arsenal about Gabriel Jesus, we like the project – it’s a possibility we’re discussing,” representative Marcelo Pettinati told transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

“There are six more clubs interested in Gabriel – he’s focused on final games with Man City, we’ll see.”

Asked about the link with Jesus in his pre-Sp*rs press conference, Arteta remained coy.

“You know that I don’t talk about any players that are not with us,” he said. 

“I am looking for the strikers that we have in the team, and this is my focus. We have three games to go and that’s the only thing I am focussing on.”

In addition to recruiting new attackers, Arteta and technical director Edu also have decisions to make regarding Alex Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah. Both strikers are out of contract at Emirates Stadium at the end of June and will be available on a free transfer.

Negotiations about new deals have been stalled for some time, although the club are hopeful at least one of the two will sign new terms.

Should Arsenal qualify for the Champions League, it’s expected the club could be very busy in the transfer market. Nicolas Pepe – this week linked with Sevilla – could be used to raise funds.

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The Golden Wrigglesworth

“He’s not the Messiah, he’s just a very versatile high-pressing forward.”

Luckylee

In ur opinion who is the Messiah..for me I like d versatile high pressing forward u mentioned..

Johnny 4 Hats

All I can say is I’m glad the Tuesday club gang has moved on if we are getting a lad who can turn water into wine.

goonerink

“wrelease wlaca”

BillyBatts

All right, but apart from the goals, assists, key passes, forced turnovers, home wins, away wins, top four finishes, the trophies and general entertainment, what have versatile high-pressing forwards ever done for us?

house of goons

Two thumbs up if blogs allowed it.

Brady’s bunch

It’s a sign 🙌🙏

Jarghs

Just hope he isn’t unveiled to the fans in the same way Brian was

Tapps

We’re all different (I’m not).

Mayor McCheese

His goals will provide the perfect response to all those doubting Thomases.

😇🚗☀️

Jesus likes us this we know, so his agent tells us so…
Heh

@jbrusty

Really hope we can pull this deal off. If we can take advantage of his and Tielemans’ contract situations, and get the pair for around £60m in total, then we’d improve our squad a great deal for pretty reasonable money imo

Johnny 4 Hats

Controversial opinion warning I think if we do manage to renew Eddie then we absolutely should not sign Jesus. To me they are just too similar and I was under the impression that we would be looking for a physical presence in the Nunez or Vlahovic profile. I would feel a little underwhelmed going into next season with Jesus and Nketiah. And to be quite honest, if Eddie wants a healthy pay rise, I think I might be more interested in doing that instead of paying £30m for Jesus, especially if we have a 1st choice striker we are also… Read more »

Johan

I’d like to think that if Nketiah was to extend and we’d get Jesus for a reasonable sum, we’d still go for a top striker. Doesn’t Jesus play on the wing, where we’ll need coverage if we sell Pepe, at least as often as through the center?

Johnny 4 Hats

That’s a really good point. I think I’m still thinking of Jesus as a striker when he’s quite a bit more. And yeah, if Pepe leaves it would be great to replace him with someone like Jesus.

My only concern there is taking game time from ESR and / or Martinelli who both need to the minutes to develop and mature.

Johan

Your concern seems valid. I dream of our front four next season consisting of: Saka ESR Martinelli Odegaard Nketiah Jesus Awesome New Striker However, if we actually get that striker, three of those four (Saka, Odegaard, Awesome New Striker) will play most of the games when they are fit. Jesus would only be coming if he could expect to play more than at Man C. Would Nketiah want to sign an extension if we were to purchase Awesome New Striker and Jesus both? It would be fantastic to have those seven fight it out for four spots (and next season… Read more »

Johan

seems to like to prefer to keep… not what I intended to say, but sort of captures it

Vonnie

It all depends if Eddie is up for a fight. He’s drifted through most of his appearances this season up until the last few games, I described him as a “feeble” player and then he seems to have suddenly woken up. Is this new Eddie the real Eddie or is it a blip and he returns to those nondescript performances a bit like Willock at Newcastle? It’s a well documented fact that players up their game before a new contract or move. I’m not really sure what Eddie is and so I’m not sure if I want him to stay… Read more »

PeteyB

Maybe Arteta thinks Jesus = Awesome New Striker

Glenn

There should be plenty of game time with European football, what we need is more players – we’ve been desperately short since January.

@jbrusty

Here’s my opinion on Eddie (not sure if controversial or not)

I don’t think we can use this small sample of games to gamble on missing out on a player like Jesus and give him the starting striker role*.

I’d be happy enough if he stayed, but this looks like an upgrade to me, and one I don’t think e can afford to miss out on given the potential low fee.

*opinion very likely to change if he bags a NLD hat-trick

Marly

good point, look at willock last year at newcastle

@jbrusty

Exactly. The most disappointing thing would be if he leaves we won’t get a proper fee (just a developmental one, and that’s only if he goes to another English club)

Determination Cultured

Yup. Agree. Edide’s just not good enough at this level. Didnt even get a hat trick in the last game 🙂

Johnny 4 Hats

I totally get your point but I think we need to get a bit real about what Eddie has done.

Eddie has outperformed Auba’s half a season at Arsenal in four starts. He’s made Laca look utterly redundant. He’s scored goals away against Chelsea that have reignited our CL chances. Without that win we probably aren’t getting CL football. His arrival in this team isn’t so dissimilar from the impact ESR had in December 2020.

I know it’s a small sample size but for me personally, he’s done enough to be a great second striker option for us next season.

@jbrusty

He doesn’t want to be a second striker, he wants to start. Why’s he going to sign a deal and sit on the bench, or be rotated at best?

Johnny 4 Hats

Eddie wants minutes. That’s all he’s ever said. But for large parts of this season he’s been behind Laca and Auba with no cup football.

He might feel quite different if he’s second choice striker in a champions league team.

Determination Cultured

Wpuld looooove nunez as first choice

Johnny 4 Hats

Stop it. Just stop it. I don’t want to think about how perfect he would be.

Unfortunately I think we are a season too late.

karlic

What you say makes a lot of sense. I agree they are the same profile and with all those crosses Arsenal keep putting in, we need a taller striking option to go with one of them.

Johnny 4 Hats

Yes, absolutely, that’s the goal. And hopefully when we are seven years into this project we’ll have that sort of depth.

But right now, I would love us to invest in bonafide starting XI footballers, not Swiss army players.

Maybe my head was too inebriated with Vlahovic and our very serious interest in him. But I just want a killer 30 goal a season guy.

For a long time Liverpool were 11 players. And I think that’s a phase we have to go through to get to a far deeper and more competent squad.

AusGunner

“let’s not obviously improve our squad because of some superstitious rule I just made up about having to have a deliberately sub-optimal squad for seven years, at which point we can then – and only then – push to make it as conspicuously good as possible”

just, what? absolute galaxy brain hot take.

Johnny 4 Hats

Not sure who you are quoting there. They sound a bit mental.

But when your team are 20 points off the title challengers, it’s probably not a great idea to flood that side with squad players.

Shano28

With my fifa hat on I’d prefer a Nunez or vlahavic that I have never seen play before, but I think it would be unwise to bring in 2 strikers if we are keeping Eddie. We end up with the same situation we were in blocking a route for at least one striker. I’d rather have a go this year with Eddie and Jesus and readjust the following if it’s not perfect. But look Eddie might not sign and Jesus could go to Barca! Also I very rarely put on bets but I’m 100% certain saka, martinelli, smith Rowe and… Read more »

Sauce

Now, consider we’re in the UCL next season.. and we WILL be

Johnny 4 Hats

Don’t mean to sound like a massive party pooper, but how is this not tapping up?

Isn’t this the exact reason we hate Cashley?

Goontang

Probably has permission to speak to other clubs and its been made clear he will be sold at the end of the season. Not tapping up if your club knows and gives permission. Would be the best time city could allow it after his run of goals to try and get maximum value

Johnny 4 Hats

All the reports say Arsenal are yet to discuss the deal with City. But I suppose we don’t known what has been said behind closed doors to Jesus.

Pep has been talking about wanting to keep him though, so it seems a little unlikely he’d allow him to discuss transfers away from the club.

Drew

Depends if the citeh have allowed him to talk to other clubs.

ThreadRipper

City must be open to proposals at this stage. I don’t think anyone from Arsenal entertained Chelsea in case of Cole.

Prakhar

Praise Jesus

The Golden Wrigglesworth

Perhaps Arsenal can give him the chance to resurrect his career.

Johnny 4 Hats

If we sign Jesus and Darwin, then those two have got a serious battle on their hands.

Darwin – strong, physical, survival of the fittest.

Gabriel – not great on crosses.

The Golden Wrigglesworth

Perhaps Arteta will balance things out by making a surprise move for Victor Moses along with Jesus. Darwin might have his hands full against a complete set of prophets (considering we already have Mohamed on the books).

Jakeus

Don’t forget in adding Jesus – we’d have a trifecta (trinity?) of Gabriel’s on our hands as well.

Josh Kroenke’s own ‘City of Angels’

Pete Plum

If we have Jesus and Mohamed in the team does that mean Dennis Bergkamp becomes manager?

Determination Cultured

So do we also sign tammy abraham from roma or not?

FMT

I like Tammy

Mkh

He is 25, still years to play. Given he is surplus at Man City, the price should be less than his market price, that is now 50M. Lets see what happens…

Daniel Hayle

If he’s keen and the wage is right. It’s a no brainer

Granit(e) hard!

Amen, hallelujah brothers

Man Manny

An angel and a Saviour in one signing is a no brainer.

Geefive

I’m cool with the signing as long as they don’t overpay him, fee or wages. From looking online, it seems he’s on 90k a week (correct me if wrong), so as long as they don’t give him too big of a raise I’m down with it.

Basil

I’ll never trust a process that relies heavily on players that teams you’re (or should be) competing with have deemed not good enough. First was Chelsea with Petr Cech, David Luiz and Willian. Now it’s over to ManCity.

Guns Up

All poor comparisons, as Jesus is at a completely different point in his career than those three were when they left Chelsea. If you want to make a valid one, use Odegaard, who has worked out just fine, thanks.

Tapps

I get what you mean. Look how rubbish Henry was at Juventus, Bergkamp at Inter, Vieira at Milan, Overmars at Ajax. All of ’em rubbish signings!

Ricky

Absolutely ridiculous comment. I guess we will only rely on home grown players

Once a gunner

Get Osimhen with Jesus perfect for our style champion league here we come

chepetin

My neighbor’s landscape architect was at dinner last night and overheard a conversation from the next table that pretty much confirms that this deal will happen. Apparently one of the people at the next table knows a guy from Sao Paolo who grew up in the same favela as Jesus and the guy who cuts his hair said that his butcher knows a friend of Jesus’s third cousin once removed and that cousin reported that Jesus’s second cousin’s barber met with a Knight Frank agent in Hemel Hempstead and told him that he was looking for a house “for a… Read more »

Collibosher

You need to get a job in the media!

Lacaubapepe

“I am looking for the strikers we have in the team”. That seems to be a message to Nketiah so he can focus on our 3 remaining games.

RockyRog58

Apparently Cedric’s input was to request a 7ft 9ins Striker ??? Makes sense to me !

Arsenish

Thank you. i chuckled so hard at this. Made my evening.

Jung Beans

Arteta’s project seems to involve collecting Gabrielles. I like it.

Arsenish

Hahaha very funny! Thank you for the laughter.

Gooner de Tijuana

No thanks. Jesus is overrated. Misses too many goals with Man City. That is why they have been looking for a replacement for some time. Can’t stand his face, seems like he is always crying because he missed a wide open sitter. I would rather we go for Darwin Núñez from Benfica. He is a goal poacher and has the frame for Cedric’s crosses.

El Mintero

Kinda agree. Jesus’ time at city has been “meh”…I find him a little underwhelming. As a second striker maybe but he’s not the main guy we should be looking for…

Spanish Gooner

All the best strikers miss loads of chances because the most valuable skill is the opportunity to get in great positions regularly, more than being a clinical finisher.
For reference, here are the players with the most big chances missed this season in a few leagues:
Bundesliga: Lewandowski, Haaland, Andre Silva
Premier League: Kane, Salah, Jota, Ronaldo, Mane
La Liga: Benzema, Isak, Mir

Francesc

Sign Neves, Tielemans, Raphinha/Gnabry and Jesus and we will Roooaaaaarrrrr

Steve1966wb@gmail.com

Arsenal we need more than jesus to.win title add noah adam alexander the gr8 plus more

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