Arsenal are reportedly keen to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City this summer, but the lack of Champions League football has been viewed by many as a dealbreaker.
The Gunners were in pole position to finish fourth just last week. However, back-to-back defeats at the hands of Tottenham and Newcastle United have pushed them down to fifth in the league table.
The only way Arsenal can get back into the Champions League is if they beat Everton on the final day of the season and Tottenham lose to already-relegated Norwich City. That’s extremely unlikely.
Gabriel Jesus may join Arsenal even if they aren’t in Champions League
Gabriel Jesus has played Champions League football for Manchester City in every single season that he has been with them. He’s a top-quality striker and it’s hard to believe that he’ll agree to join a Europa League club in the summer, especially after how good he has been recently.
However, all hope is not lost for Arsenal and Gunners supporters.
The Sun claim today that Jesus’ representatives have made it clear to them that although Champions League football is a huge attraction, they haven’t ruled out a move to the Emirates, even if the Gunners will be in the Europa League next term.
That is a massive boost.
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Missing out on the Champions League will be a huge blow for Arsenal considering that qualification was in their own hands. However, if you look at where they were after the first three games of the season, they deserve immense praise for getting this close.
Securing Champions League football would’ve boosted their chances of signing top-quality players, but if the report is to be believed, they still have a big chance of getting a deal for Jesus done.
Branded as a ‘top class’ striker by Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick, Jesus would be perfect for Arsenal. His role under Arteta will be very similar to what he’s used to under Pep Guardiola, and the fact that he already knows the Premier League is a big boost for the Gunners as well.
It’s still not certain that Jesus will sign for Arsenal this summer, but the Gunners have reportedly tabled a £42.4 million bid already, which shows they are really serious about securing his services.
