Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has struggled to recreate early form in an Arsenal shirt – and is now a target for a surprise exit from the Emirates Stadium
Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus could be set for a midseason exit, with Arsenal “accepting” to let the Brazilian leave the club.
The Gunners are still being linked with a new striker after a summer in which they failed to add a No.9 to their ranks, with Florian Wirtz said to be on the shortlist in attack, too. This would likely spell the end of Jesus’s time in north London, with the forward the latest Arsenal star to have seemingly been cursed by taking the No.9 shirt.
Gabriel Jesus signed for Arsenal in 2022 from Manchester City, with the Citizens purchasing Erling Haaland as his replacement. Jesus made an instant impact at the Gunners, transforming their attack and helping Arteta’s side to the top of the table prior to the World Cup break.
But injuries have hampered his time in north London, with Kai Havertz taking his spot as the first-choice centre-forward. Now, BolaVIP in Brazil reports that a move back to a former club could be on the cards.
The report states that Palmeiras in Brazil are working on bringing the star back to the place where it all began for him. Arsenal are said to be more than open to letting him leave in January.
Palmeiras would have to stump up around €40 million, according to the report. This is on the high side for a Brazilian club but the Verdao are said to want to make a statement ahead of their appearance at next summer’s revamped Club World Cup.
With Arsenal competing on four fronts, FourFourTwo believes will likely be reluctant to let a major star leave unless they get in a suitable replacement. Leandro Trossard was an opportunistic buy in the winter window of 2023, with Arsenal needing to make a buy of similar impact, should they look to replace Jesus.
For that reason, FourFourTwo believes that this one could well be a non-starter for January. Winter windows are usually spent adding to a team’s existing ranks rather than replacing – and given that the Gunners failed to sign someone over the summer to improve their options in the final third, it would be a tough ask for them to adequately replace a player of Jesus’s quality.
Thiago Almada’s recent signing for Botafogo remains the most expensive arrival in Brazilian football. It is likely that Jesus would have to eclipse his fee of around £18m in order to convince Arteta and co. to let him leave.
