Ian Wright has claimed that the signing of Gabriel Jesus is ‘amazing’ for Arsenal and he thinks the club’s new number nine is ‘perfect’, as he told Wrighty’s House.
The Highbury legend added that Jesus’ transfer might also bring an ‘intense rivalry’ in the Arsenal camp between the attackers and it’s something that is needed because it will force players to ‘step up’.
It was a long-winded transfer, but Jesus was finally announced as a Gooner on Monday when he completed his move from Premier League champions, Manchester City.
He now reunites with Mikel Arteta in north London, after he was coached by the Spaniard during their time at the Etihad, so from that perspective, he will know his game inside and out.
Nonetheless, when talking about Jesus’ transfer, Wright admitted that when the rumours first emerged about the player, he didn’t think a deal would happen.
“When we first got linked with him I thought ‘oh, here we go, we are just getting linked with people, it’s not going to happen’,” said Wright. “Then Erling Haaland comes in, so he is going to go somewhere. Can we get him? Is he going to come to us with no Europa League? No Champions League. Can we get Jesus?
“I started to think about what he brings and what he can do. I was thinking, he’s perfect. He’s perfect – I don’t think they have promised him anything, he is going to play.
“For him, to come to our place knowing that he’s our main man. See a player ready to be number one, go to a club that they want him to be number one, it’s got to be a massive incentive for him.
“If we are looking at Salah and Son sharing the Golden Boot from out wide and how Gabriel Jesus will play more regularly and hopefully score more goals. You don’t need to be in there as that number nine, scoring loads of goals to win the Golden Boot, you can do it from the wing.
“All that intense rivalry is needed (between Jesus, Smith Rowe, Nketiah and Martinelli) of quality players because everybody has to step up – that signing is an amazing signing in respect of what we want to do.”
BIG SEASON AHEAD FOR JESUS
This could be a game-changing season for Jesus, both at his new club and on the international stage for Brazil.
Arsenal want to get back into the Champions League and if Jesus can score the goals that fire them to that target, then his stock will rise.
But, it will go up a few more levels if he does the business for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the South American powerhouses are one of the favourites to lift the big crown.
Jesus is expected to, not just be part of the squad that travels to the Middle East, but also start that opening game against Serbia.
Either way, with many questioning the goalscoring credentials of Jesus, then he has an ample chance of proving his worth during these next 12 months.
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