Gabriel Jesus can become just the second player to join Arsenal directly from Manchester City if the Brazilian forward completes a proposed transfer to Mikel Arteta’s side this year.
Journalist Jorge Nicola reports the Gunners are in advanced negotiations with Jesus’ agent, Paulo Pitombeira, over the move. Technical director Edu is conducting their discussions for the 25-year-old, and has already reached an agreement in principle for his personal terms.
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Nicola believes negotiations have been successful as Edu offered his compatriot a pay rise from his Etihad Stadium wage. Arsenal are ready to pay Jesus €6m-a-season (£97k-a/w) for his transfer, up from his current €4m-a-season (£65k-a/w) contract with Manchester City.
Arsenal yet to hold Manchester City talks for Gabriel Jesus transfer
Reports by The Athletic corroborate with Nicola’s claims of Arsenal’s interest in agreeing a transfer with Manchester City for Jesus. They add discussions between Edu and Pitombeira have been underway for a number of months, and that the forward is open to the switch.
However, no talks have yet taken place between the Emirates and Etihad Stadium outfits. But Jesus will enter the final year of his Citizens contract this June and should see his game time reduce massively next season, with Manchester City nearing a deal for Erling Haaland.
Arsenal are favourites for a transfer if Jesus leaves Manchester City, given Arteta’s time as Pep Guardiola’s assistant. The Spaniard worked with the Brazilian, who has hit 11 goals and 12 assists so far this term. Seven of his efforts so far have now been in the Premier League.
Arteta will also know Jesus can give a versatile forward presence, having made 16 of his 35 appearances on Guardiola’s right-wing. The £27m man has also featured twice on the left, and can become just the second player to move directly from Manchester City to Arsenal.
Tommy Caton – Manchester City to Arsenal, 1983
Tommy Caton is so far the only one in history to join Arsenal directly from Manchester City following his transfer in 1983. The Gunners acquired the centre-half following the Citizens’ relegation from Division One, having started his career with the Maine Road club aged 16.
He became the youngest player to reach 100 Football League appearances while with City. Caton would go on to start 95 times for Arsenal before losing his place in the Gunners’ side to Tony Adams during the 1985/86 season. He eventually joined Oxford United in 1987.
Emmanuel Adebayor – Arsenal to Manchester City, 2009
Manchester City continued their investment in strikers with a £25m transfer for Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal in 2009. The Togo international had spent three-and-a-half seasons in north London following a £7m move from Monaco and played 142 matches for 62 goals.
The 66-cap striker would only play 45 times for the Citizens for 19 goals over three years at the club. One of Adebayor’s efforts includes his infamous header at home to Arsenal, after which he ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the travelling Gunners fanbase.
Adebayor eventually left Manchester City to join Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur following an initial loan spell. He would play a total of 113 games for Spurs – only trailing the 142 with Arsenal and 115 with Monaco – including seven against the Gunners.
Samir Nasri – Arsenal to Manchester City, 2011
Samir Nasri followed the path trodden by Adebayor by leaving Arsenal for Manchester City in 2011 for £25m. The Frenchman had joined the Gunners back in 2008 from Marseille and often dazzled at the Emirates with silky footwork to become a fans’ favourite until he left.
The midfielder made a total 126 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. He would go on to make 176 outings for the Citizens, the most for any club in his career. Nasri also won two Premier League titles at the Etihad, whereas Adebayor did not.
Kolo Toure – Arsenal to Manchester City, 2009
Manchester City returned to raid Arsenal again during the summer 2009 transfer window by following Adebayor’s capture with a £14m deal for Kolo Toure. The defender left north London following Wenger signing Thomas Vermaelen and then having seven centre-backs.
Toure had an illustrious career at Highbury, before moving to the Etihad. The Ivory Coast defender amassed 327 appearances for Arsenal, helped to win two FA Cups and played 37 times in the 2003/04 Premier League season to be remembered as part of The Invincibles.
Gael Clichy – Arsenal to Manchester City, 2011
Arsenal became a happy place for Manchester City to sign players in their search for a first Premier League title. Roberto Mancini followed his predecessors in raiding north London in a £7m swoop for Gael Clichy in 2011 to make the full-back his first signing at the City helm.
Wenger was keen to keep the Frenchman in the capital, but Clichy rejected a new contract after entering the final year of his deal. He had been at the Gunners since 2003 and played 264 games and won the 2005 FA Cup. Clichy would win two Premier League titles at City.
Niall Quinn – Arsenal to Manchester City, 1990
Niall Quinn honed his trade at Arsenal after joining the north London ranks aged 17. The forward would go on to start 81 first-team games for the Gunners before a £700k transfer to Manchester City in 1990, and going on to represent the Citizens across 218 occasions.
Quinn made a goalscoring start to his City career, with the 91-cap Republic of Ireland star scoring against Chelsea. But his best moments came after a then club-record £1.3m move to Sunderland in 1996 and helping to establish the Black Cats’ presence in the top-flight.
Bacary Sagna – Arsenal to Manchester City, 2014
Bacary Sagna is arguably one of the most underrated right-backs in recent Premier League history. The Frenchman was a consistent high-performer during his seven years at Arsenal, between his £7m arrival from Auxerre in 2007 and his emotional farewell as a free agent.
He helped to end Arsenal’s 3,283-day wait for a major trophy shortly before leaving north London with victory over Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup final. The 39-year-old played all 120 minutes of the 3-2 Wembley win, having come from two goals behind after eight minutes.
Sagna played a total 284 games for Arsenal and offered 27 assists before playing 86 times for Manchester City. His only title at the Etihad was the 2016 EFL Cup before the Citizens released the defender, alongside Clichy, in 2017 following Guardiola’s first year in charge.
David Seaman – Arsenal to Manchester City, 2003
David Seaman enjoyed a 13-year career at Arsenal, during which the 77-cap England star became a bona fide icon. The goalkeeper played 564 times for the north Londoners and kept 218 clean sheets. He also helped them win three top-flight titles and four FA Cups.
Arsenal paid QPR what was a British record for a goalkeeper to sign Seaman for £1.3m. But George Graham’s swoop proved worth it. Only David O’Leary (722), Adams (669), George Armstrong (621), Lee Dixon (619) and Nigel Winterburn (584) have played more games.
Seaman’s final act as an Arsenal player was lifting the FA Cup as captain after a 1-0 win at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium against Southampton. He only played a year at Manchester City after that before calling time on a trophy-laden and memorable career in 2004.
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