Manchester City are now ready to cash in on striker Gabriel Jesus – around a year since he was talked up as a makeweight for Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane.
Cast your mind back to 2021 and Kane’s future was one of the most popular talking points.
Tottenham had again missed out on Champions League football and some felt Kane would want to leave.
Kane did little to dispel that idea on the golf course with Gary Neville, but the transfer window came and went without a deal.
Manchester City were the main suitor for Kane but couldn’t get close to a fee that Tottenham wanted.
The Daily Star did though report that Tottenham would be willing to sell if the offer was cash plus City striker Jesus in exchange.
The Sun also reported that Jesus could be Kane’s replacement at Tottenham. The Daily Mail added that Tottenham recruitment staff picked out Jesus as a prime makeweight.
It seems that Jesus is highly regarded at Tottenham but no deal materialised last summer with Kane staying put.
Now approaching the 2022 summer window, Jesus looks to be nearing the City exit door.
Lance in Brazil report that City have decided to green-light a deal for Jesus to leave this summer.
Pep Guardiola has previously been reluctant to let Jesus go but Lance claim that the Brazilian will now be on the move this summer.
Guardiola may have wanted to keep Jesus because he was a natural striker – something City didn’t manage to add last summer.
Yet with Erling Haaland seemingly set to swap Borussia Dortmund for City, it seems that Jesus is the odd man out.
Jesus, 25, has started just 16 league games this season and only one in the Champions League.
Seven goals and eight assists across all competition isn’t a bad record for Jesus, but he just doesn’t seem to have that clinical edge he displayed when he first joined City in 2017.
With Jesus seemingly available, would Tottenham be keen again?
It’s hard to imagine that Jesus would fancy joining Tottenham as a backup to Kane, who surely isn’t leaving now.
The ship may have sailed on Jesus joining Tottenham, but Spurs fans would much, much rather have Kane anyway.
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