Retour
Arsenal’s summer business has come under plenty of scrutiny, especially in attack.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard were both sold, while moves for top targets Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Jr fell through. Less than two months after the window closed, Mikel Arteta is already short of options out wide with Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis injured.
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Bukayo Saka's injury is a BIG problem for Arsenal 😡 Let's hear your ideas on how they replace him 👇
Another forward left the Emirates in the summer too, and he’s been making a big impression at his new club. So much so that one former Tottenham striker wishes Spurs had got there first.
Gabriel Jesus joined Barcelona for around £8.6million, four years after Arsenal signed him from Manchester City for £45million. Unfortunately, his exit wasn’t the smoothest. Jesus claimed he’d been forced to train separately before leaving, which Arteta said he was “very surprised” by.
Since then, though, he’s made his chances count. Jesus has four goals and an assist in seven games for Barcelona, despite starting just two of them. He scored on his Champions League debut against Feyenoord, flicking home a Lamine Yamal cross, and now has three goals in his last four in La Liga, having started the last two. Earlier this month, Hansi Flick said he had “improved a lot” and adapted to Barcelona’s style.
Speaking on El Ton & Jon’s La Liga Weekly, former Spurs striker Terry Gibson called him “an absolute steal”.
“I would have had him at Spurs for 10 million,” Gibson said. “I know he came from Arsenal, but his quality is, I must admit, I’ve not seen too much of him. His movement off the ball, his attitude in winning the ball back, his first touch, his finishing, is for 10 million. He’s been an absolute steal.
“You can tell he’s grabbing the opportunity with both hands. His work rate is exemplary to everybody else.”
Although his impact felt relatively short-lived at Arsenal, Jesus was integral to elevating Arteta’s side from Champions League contenders to title challengers. But injuries took their toll, most notably the knee injury he suffered during the 2022 World Cup, and he struggled to nail down a regular place after his return.
It would be a strange move for Arsenal to regret, given the club’s need to refresh the squad. But with their strikers yet to score since early September, some fans will be watching his form in Spain with interest.