Arsenal's pursuit of a new striker to replace Alexandre Lacazette this summer may have taken a fresh twist with Chelsea said to be watching developments regarding Gabriel Jesus very closely.
The Manchester City striker is a top priority for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta as the club's technical director Edu has been in constant communication with the Brazil international's representatives since November with the view to getting a deal over the line ahead of the new season.
And despite the notion that Chelsea could throw a spanner into those plans, The Athletic have reported that Arsenal remain confident of landing their top target this summer. However, it has also been suggested that alternatives such as Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca may have to be considered.
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This is because the report states that the north London outfit's failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League could have ramifications for the potential Gabriel Jesus deal as clubs who are in European football's elite club competition have since expressed their interest in the 25-year-old.
Therefore if a serious competitor for the Brazilian's signature was to emerge within the next fortnight, the Gunners would then have a battle on their hands to convince the striker to join and this prospect may not sit well with Arteta, who has effectively already outlined his one non-negotiable when it comes to signing new players.
"The moment we mention Arsenal, Ian you know what it means around the world," Arteta said in an interview with Gunners legend Ian Wright in 2020. "Everybody wants to come here and we have a really clear idea of what we are. It doesn't need much convincing and if they do, for me it's not a good starting point. If I have to convince a player to stay or to join us. To Arsenal? (Arteta grimaces) It holds me back a little bit.
"It has to be 'what do we have to do? I want to play for that club and represent exactly the values the style of play that I want'. That's the kind of emotion I want to hear at the start. And the same with the players that are here. Once you finish what are the feelings you have towards the club? That's what really interests me."
Although, the fact that Arsenal are confident of signing Gabriel Jesus may indicate he wouldn't need much convincing, thus making any decision to continue pursuing this summer transfer despite possible competition from Chelsea and other European teams even easier.
Furthermore, the report claims that the Gunners consider themselves to be in a strong position to sign Youri Tielemans from Leicester City with the midfielder no longer considering playing in the Champions League next season a necessity.
