Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has provided an update on the transfer chase for Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus. The Gunners are on the hunt for a new leading man this summer and the Brazilian is reportedly high on their wishlist.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left in the January transfer window for Barcelona and while it now looks like Eddie Nketiah will remain at the Emirates, Alexandre Lacazette is also set to depart. There will be big gaps for Mikel Arteta to fill in the Arsenal attack then and he has turned to a player he coached at City.
Jesus has reportedly informed his side that he wants to pursue alternative opportunities this summer. The Brazilian was in and out of Pep Guardiola's side this season and with Erling Haaland set to arrive from Borussia Dortmund, his chances are likely to become even more limited.
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But the Spaniard was not drawn on the rumours earlier this season, informing a press conference: “I want to tell you something, Gabriel is our player. I don’t know what is going to happen but he is a Manchester City player.
“But Gabriel doesn’t need to do a performance like today to score four goals to know exactly what he can do. Against Liverpool in the FA Cup, he had two clear chances man to man and he missed them, but always he is there, and Gabriel has this incredible ability because he is always thinking what is the best for the team.
“A thousand million movements, he doesn’t get the ball and he still makes a thousand million movements for the other ones. And personally, when he has nights like this I am the happiest man in the world because always he’s there. If he doesn’t play he’s there training the day after like it’s his last day, that’s why he will have a long career, he will have a successful career because of the incredible positivity in his mind and thinks for the team.”
Arsenal already have a Brazilian presence in the dressing room with both Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli featuring a regularly under Arteta. The former held a press conference earlier this week as he prepares to make his international debut in Tite's side, and spoke about his club's chase for Jesus.
“We joke around in the dressing room, but there’s nothing certain," Gabriel told a press conference this week. "Of course, he’s a quality player and if he goes to Arsenal, he would help us a lot.”
