Official: Arsenal announce signing of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City

Arsenal have finally announced the signing of Gabriel Jesus after a £45m deal was agreed with Manchester City.

The club’s priority this summer was a new forward after Alexandre Lacazette followed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang through the exit door earlier this month. However, Eddie Nketiah’s contract extension reduced the need to sign two strikers as Brazilian Jesus quickly emerged as Mikel Arteta’s priority target.

Edu Gaspar has long been working on this deal and a breakthrough was made over a week ago as City accepted Arsenal’s £45m offer.

Jesus, who had just a year left on his City deal, was keen to leave the Etihad in favour of a regular starting role elsewhere. He had plenty of suitors, but it was the Gunners who won the race.

Arsenal announce the signing of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City in £45m deal

Jesus agreed to sign a five-year deal with Arsenal after City accepted the Gunners’ proposal and he underwent his medical in London Colney on Tuesday morning.

Edu was pictured greeting his compatriot upon his arrival at the training ground with the sporting director’s connections key in Arsenal securing this deal. However, the influence of Arteta, who worked with Jesus for three years in Manchester and has reportedly promised the player a leading role in his project at the Emirates, can’t be understated.

Welcoming Jesus to Arsenal, Edu said: “We are delighted that we have secured the transfer of Gabriel. Everyone who knows football well knows the qualities of Gabriel Jesus.

“Gabriel is a player who we have admired for a long time now. He is 25 years old and an established Brazil international who has consistently demonstrated that he is a player at a very high level. We look forward to seeing him join up with his new teammates ahead of the new season. We all welcome Gabriel to Arsenal.”

Mikel Arteta added: “I’m very excited. The club has done a tremendous job to recruit a player of this stature. I know Gabriel personally very well, and we all know him well from his time in the Premier League and being really successful here.

“This is 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.”

It’s easy to understand why the Brazilian international emerged as Arteta and Arsenal’s priority striker target this summer. While Jesus was never prolific during his time with City; his flexibility, astuteness in the box, and capacity to bring others into play will undoubtedly bolster Arsenal’s attack moving forward.

The 25-year-old will wear the #9 shirt following the departure of Lacazette, and supporters will surely see him in action throughout the club’s pre-season tour of the USA. I, for one, cannot wait to see Jesus strut his stuff in red and white.

Welcome, Gabi!