Virtually all of the Arsenal transfer news right now is centering around two players – Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha.
Arsenal are reported to have bid for Leeds United winger Raphinha but Jesus to the Emirates Stadium is looking a lot more advanced.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have struck a verbal agreement with Manchester City to sign the Brazil international following weeks of speculation.
For context, this has been going on before the 2021-22 campaign even finished.
However, it does look like Jesus to Arsenal is becoming a lot closer to being realised now.
And journalist Dean Jones believes it’s a ‘gamechanger’ of a signing for Mikel Arteta.
Jones revealed on a podcast that Arteta is trying to build a mini Manchester City in North London, having worked alongside Pep Guardiola – and the South American striker himself – for a number of years at the Etihad.
And that Arteta believes that Jesus has the right quality and mentality to get Arsenal into the Champions League.
He told The Football Terrace podcast: “I think Jesus is going to be the most interesting one, the biggest gamechanger. Raphinha is great, but he’s not a guarantee of the quality needed. This is the bridge Arsenal are building, the one that gets you to the Champions League. What he [Arteta] is doing at the moment is building a version of what they have at Man City.
“That squad is lacking the mentality and the genuine quality but the only way to change that is to sign Champions League-quality players with a Champions League mindset and Gabi Jesus would tick that box.”
According to AS in Spain though, Tottenham Hotspur, who are also linked, are convinced that they can talk Jesus into snubbing a transfer to Arsenal in favour of joining them.
However, the Romano development about the verbal agreement is the more recent one and that looks more probable at this stage in the game.
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