Arsenal are making every effort to sign Gabriel Jesus but according to ex-PL keeper David James, the forward does not need to join the Gunners.
Manchester City want to hold onto Jesus but the forward has refused to sign a new deal amidst strong interest from Arsenal as well as Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gunners are supposed to be the frontrunners in this transfer race but David James feels Jesus should ditch the idea of an exit this summer.
He said, as quoted by The Sun: “Pep’s (Guardiola) rotation has worked perfectly in the sense that they won the Premier League again. I’d imagine Haaland would fit into that mould, he’s not going to play every game.
“Also with his injuries, there are question marks over whether he is physically capable of playing all the games. Jesus will have a shared role if he stays at Man City. They aren’t going to buy Haaland and start him every game, so there is still room for Jesus.
“Why would he want to leave? You’re at the best team in England over the past five years, so would he risk it by moving somewhere else to Arsenal, who aren’t even in the Champions League?”
Will Gabriel Jesus choose to sign a new deal with Manchester City?
James thinks the forward will get enough opportunities at Man City next season but his agent, Marcelo Pettinati, has once again hinted that the 25-year-old has set his sights set on an exit.
“At the moment we’re understanding all of the projects, so right now isn’t the time to say anything,” Pettinati said, as per the Manchester Evening News. “Things will advance after his time with the national team.”
Gabriel Jesus will concentrate on Brazil's international games before making a decision about his future. 🇧🇷
A friendly against Japan next Monday means progress is unlikely for the next week… ⚽#Jesus #Arsenal #AFC pic.twitter.com/rgkyukNSpf
— AFTV (@AFTVMedia) May 30, 2022
Haaland’s arrival seems to have convinced Gabriel Jesus that he is no longer wanted at Manchester City which is why he wants a new challenge. Arsenal and Jesus will be a perfect match but Spurs have also stepped up their interest in the forward and since they have UCL football to offer, the Gunners might just be propelled to the backseat.
Do Spurs have a better chance at signing Gabriel Jesus?
Antonio Conte will be confident his side will be able to bring Gabriel Jesus on board due to the Champions League element but the main problem is that the Brazilian does not want to play second-fiddle anymore.
Harry Kane is not going anywhere in the summer so if Jesus joins Tottenham he will become a backup striker just like he is at Man City right now. However, at Arsenal, he has the chance to become the regular first-choice striker because Auba left in January and Lacazette will exit in the coming weeks.
Playing week-in-week-out might be a tough proposal to decline and this is why we think Arsenal still hold the edge over Spurs. If Antonio Conte doesn’t turn out to be the X factor then Arsenal should be able to grab hold of the striker.
