LONDON, UK: Arsenal have secured the signature of Gabriel Jesus after signing the Brazilian forward from Manchester City striker for a fee of around £45 million ($54 million) on Monday.
Jesus, who scored 95 goals in 236 appearances for City, has signed a “long-term contract” with Arsenal after deciding to leave the Premier League champions in search of more regular first-team action.
The Brazil international revealed he was a big Arsenal fan as a youngster, having been captivated by Henry during the France star’s successful spell in north London.
“I followed Arsenal when I was young because of Henry,” Jesus said. “Obviously I didn’t follow too many European teams, but when I saw some of the players that played here, I was like ‘Wow, this club is big’.
“I’m so happy to sign for this big club. Since day one when I knew I could come to play for Arsenal, I was happy. I know the staff, I know some players, the Brazilian ones. I know there are a lot of top players,” he said.
Gabriel developed through the youth setup at Palmeiras, signing a youth contract in 2013, with his prolific goalscoring ensuring he quickly progressed into the first-team squad, making his debut as a 17-year-old in March 2015. During his time with Palmeiras, Gabriel was an integral part of the club’s Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A winning side in 2016, when he was voted as the league’s Bola de Ouro – Player of the Season.
Arsenal’s Technical Director Gaspar 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.”
Gabriel will wear the number 9 shirt and will join up with the Gunners squad for pre-season training soon.
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