Arsenal have lodged an opening offer as they attempt to lure Gabriel Jesus to north London, according to reports.
The Manchester City forward is heavily linked with the exit door at the Etihad following the announcement of Erling Haaland's signing - which is set to hamper his minutes. Jesus has several suitors eyeing him but the Gunners have made a bid of £42m (€50m) for the Brazilian, reports Goal.
Arsenal are seeking to add more firepower and Jesus has proven his credentials in the Premier League. He recently scored four in a win over Watford, taking his total for the season to 13. Mikel Arteta made his interest in the player clear with Emirates chief Edu acting on such a request.
City are in fact looking for a fee closer to the £51m (€60m) mark, but the Gunners have opened the bidding as they look to win the race for his signature. Jesus' agent Marcelo Pettinati has confessed that the English side are just one of seven teams interested in the Brazilian.
He said: “We had talks with Arsenal about Gabriel Jesus, we like the project - it’s a possibility we’re discussing. There are six more clubs interested in Gabriel - he’s focused on final games with Man City, we’ll see”.
Jesus and his team want to remain focused on matters on the pitch as City target a fourth Premier League success in five years. The player himself also has several offers on the table according to reports which means he faces a decision on his future destination.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Gabriel Jesus be a good fit at Arsenal? Let us know in the comments
Arteta has spoken of his want to add a striker with their potency the crucial factor. He told Sky Sports : “He puts the ball in the net – that’s priority number one. Goal threat. Any successful team needs enough goal threat in the squad. Without it, you have nothing. You can play good football, but you need enough goal threat in the team. The other thing is that he has to complement the other people we have, personally and on the pitch. We need the right profile.”
Arsenal allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to leave the club in January after he'd fallen out of favour under Arteta. Current stars Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette will both see their contracts run out at the end of the season and are poised to seek pastures new.
The Gunners are closing in on Champions League football, which would make them a more attractive proposition. However they need to act in the market as they face the prospect of having no strikers on their books ahead of next season.
