Barcelona have signed Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus for €15 million (£12.8m), with the 29-year-old agreeing to a three-year contract with the Spanish champions.
Key takeaways
- Barcelona turned to Jesus after Atletico Madrid refused to negotiate over Julian Alvarez.
- The Brazilian said being viewed as an alternative target did not trouble him, but admitted he hates being unable to play.
- Jesus made 123 appearances for Arsenal after arriving from Manchester City in 2022, scoring 32 times and providing 22 assists.
- His Barcelona transfer contains a sell-on provision benefiting Arsenal.
- Barcelona have also recruited Anthony Gordon and Rodri from Premier League clubs this summer.
Jesus completes Barcelona move
Barcelona had spent part of the summer trying to sign Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. However, Atletico made it plain that they had no intention of discussing a transfer with their La Liga rivals, prompting Barcelona to pursue Jesus instead.
During his presentation as a Barcelona player, Jesus was asked about arriving after Alvarez had apparently been identified as the club’s preferred number-nine target. The question put to him was whether he felt insulted that his signing appeared to represent a second or even third option.
Jesus dismissed that suggestion, saying the order in which Barcelona pursued their targets did not concern him. He explained that the only comments that would truly hurt were accusations that he was a bad person, something he said he had never been told in his life. His greater frustration, he added, was being unable to play football.
The forward’s position at Arsenal had weakened in recent seasons. Injury problems affected his involvement, while Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres became the club’s preferred options through the middle.
Napoli had also expressed an interest in the Brazil international. Barcelona completed the move after Jesus passed his medical on Monday, with Arsenal retaining a sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
Arsenal spell and wider transfer activity
Jesus joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022. Across 123 matches for the Gunners, he registered 32 goals and 22 assists.
Before Arsenal’s victory against Aston Villa, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Jesus was not working with the first-team squad. Asked whether the absence indicated that the striker was on his way out, Arteta replied that the situation was personal and that the circumstances were clear.
Jesus becomes Barcelona’s third recruit from the Premier League this summer. Anthony Gordon has moved from Newcastle, while Rodri has arrived from Manchester City.
Arsenal have also completed the sale of Fabio Vieira to Hamburger SV. Midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, meanwhile, is nearing a loan transfer to Borussia Dortmund.
