So far this summer, Arsenal and Chelsea have clashed a few times as Premier League sides aim to strengthen their squads.
Firstly, the Blues hijacked Arsenal’s pursuit of Raphinha, only for both to lose out to Barcelona.
The Gunners were also interested in signing Raheem Sterling, only for the England international to eventually leave Manchester City for Stamford Bridge.
Now, Marcelo Pettinati – the agent of Gabriel Jesus – has added another chapter to the story.
What’s the story?
Well, the £264,000-a-week striker’s agent has told journalist Freddie Paxton that Chelsea also tried to hijack Arsenal’s £45m deal for the Brazil international.
Pettinati said: “Chelsea were one of the teams that tried to hijack the Arsenal move. They tried very hard in the final days to get him. By that point, we’d already chosen our new project.”
Imagine if Thomas Tuchel had pinched both Jesus and Sterling from Mikel Arteta.
It’s safe to say that not only would the Spaniard be furious, but the Arsenal supporters would also be sick to the stomach if their London rivals ruined their transfer plans so significantly.
Arsenal & Chelsea have both got a good deal
In our view, both the Gunners and the Blues should be happy with their respective business so far.
Arsenal are getting an experienced striker who netted 95 goals for Manchester City, while also winning four Premier League titles along the way.
At the age of just 25, he is also right in the midst of his prime years.
In Chelsea’s case, Tuchel has got his hands on one of the best forwards in the Premier League across the last decade, in which time Sterling also became a member of the Premier League 100 club.
As things stand, the England international has scored 109 goals in England’s top-flight, which is not an easy thing to do by the age of 27.
Hopefully, Arsenal and Chelsea can avoid getting in each other’s way for the remainder of the transfer window.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
