Arsenal submit £43m transfer bid for 13-goal striker

Arsenal are making their feelings known in the transfer window with the club aiming to get their business moving early doors given the amount of activity that is expected.

Depending on outgoings Arsenal could be in the market for anywhere up to five or six additions, which means another summer of excitement awaits for the club.

Taking on Tottenham in the North London Derby, if Mikel Arteta’s side beat their bitter rivals they will have also sewn up their place in the top four positions this campaign. Having Champions League football on offer not only boosts the budget, it also helps entice the high calibre of player they are after.

One of whom is Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal submit £43m transfer bid for Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus with talks at an advanced stage for summer move

Discussions between the parties have been rumbling on in the background for a number of months, with these past few weeks seeing talks intensify as negotiations shifted more towards the financial side of matters.

From Jesus’ side he’s been keen to seal a move away from Manchester City to somewhere he can be a regular starter, with his contract expiring in just shy of 12 months and no renewal on the horizon.

Given his contract situation there was talk of a fee in the region of £25m being enough, but Goal Brazil are reporting more. Not only that, Arsenal have even lodged a bid.

This one sits much higher at €50m (£42.8m), which for someone in his contract position, who is not a weekly starter, does seem steep. Nevertheless, in the current market you would be hard pressed to find a versatile forward of his calibre who wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, and the usual Premier League tax weighs heavy.

It feels like a lot given the previous quoted numbers – his form probably didn’t help – but should Arsenal still pay it? Absolutely, without doubt, they should.

Nothing is completely wrapped up, though, with five other proposals on the table for Jesus, and the outcome of Arsenal’s season will surely impact the 25-year-old’s decision, especially having featured in both legs of his side’s Champions League semi-final this season.

Across Brazil there are further reports of this move heating up, including Bruno Andrade of UOL, who claims that talks are at an advanced stage and a five-year contract is on the table.

It may be that no Champions League football kills this deal, but all the signs are incredibly favourable for Jesus to be an Arsenal player sometime this summer. In addition to the agreement nearing agreement between clubs, Jesus has worked with Arteta before, the style of play isn’t to dissimilar, and the No. 9 shirt is lying in wait for him.

See you soon, Gabriel (the 3rd)?