Gabriel Jesus' agent has opened up on how Chelsea failed in a last-ditch attempt to hijack the striker's recent transfer to Arsenal.
The Gunners completed a deal for their top target earlier in the summer, despite suggestions the lack of Champions League football on offer in the red half of north London next season could jeopardise a transfer which had seemingly been in the offing for several months. The Brazilian eventually moved to the Emirates in a £45million deal from Manchester City, but he wasn't short of suitors this summer.
The likes of Real Madrid, Tottenham and Chelsea were all linked with the four-time Premier League champion and it has now emerged that the latter made a late attempt to hijack Jesus' move to Arsenal. That's according to the player's agent Marcelo Pettinati who claims the Blues pushed "very hard" to steal the striker in the final few days preceding his transfer.
"Chelsea were one of the teams that tried to hijack the Arsenal move," Pettinati told journalist Freddie Paxton. "They tried very hard in the final days to get him. By that point, we'd already chosen our new project."
After completing an eagerly-anticipated move to Arsenal, Jesus confirmed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who he had previously worked alongside at City, was a key influence in his decision to head to the Emirates. Upon joining, the 25-year-old told Arsenal's club website: "We spoke a couple of times about the club, the players, the project and the future.
"I believe 100 per cent in Mikel. I had a very good time with him before, he's a very good guy and a very good coach as well."
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Arteta himself was full of praise for his new addition upon finally getting a deal over the line, while he also commended the job of the north London club to convince "a player of this stature" to join the Gunners over their rivals. "I think the club has done a tremendous job to recruit a player of this stature," Arteta admitted.
"It’s somebody that I know personally really well, and we all know really well because he’s played in the league and been really successful. It’s a position that’s been on our radar for a long time now and we have managed to get a player that we all wanted, so I’m really happy."
Arteta's influence once again appears to have been crucial as the Gunners close in on a swoop for another City star. Arsenal are understood to be on the cusp of clinching a deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko from the Premier League champions, with a fee of around £30m thought to have been agreed.
According to CBS Sports, like Jesus, the Ukrainian is said to be eager to join Arsenal in order to fulfill ambitions of playing a key role at the Emirates and to once again team up with former City coach Arteta. The Spaniard was assistant to Pep Guardiola at City between 2016 and late 2019 and was revered for his work at the club.
Both Jesus and Zinchenko were used sparingly under Guardiola last season. Next campaign, the pair are set to feature more prominently for Arsenal, with Jesus having been signed as the club's No.9 and Zinchenko likely to take up a midfield role, while also providing cover at left-back.
Elsewhere, while Chelsea evidently failed in their last-ditch efforts to snatch Jesus, they were more successful in their pursuit of his former City team-mate Raheem Sterling. The Blues have since added the England international to their ranks, signing the winger for a fee thought to be in the region of £50m.
