Gabriel Jesus is one of the many players in the Arsenal squad to have formerly played for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Jesus joined at the Emirates in July 2022 for £45m and was brought in to replace Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who left in January 2022 to Barcelona after 163 appearances and 92 goals for the Gunners.
Gabriel Jesus has so far made 84 appearances, scoring 20 goals and 16 assists under Mikel Arteta who previously coached the 27-year-old when he was at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
The Brazil international established himself as one of the best goal-scorers in the league whilst at City, but he hasn’t quite hit the heights during his time at Arsenal.
Gabriel Jesus became a Brazilian prodigy
Gabriel Jesus began his footballing career at Palmeiras in 2013 when he first signed a youth contract with the biggest team in Sao Paulo, which is where Jesus was born in 1997.
The attacker had a lot of pressure to deliver at the Brazilian club as he was considered a real prodigy in Sao Paulo, he did not disappoint in his first season. He was the club’s top goal scorer in the first year scoring an impressive 54 goals in 48 games.
In January 2014, Jesus signed a three-year contract for Palmeiras and in his first year as a professional he made a solid start. At the age of just 17, Jesus scored seven goals in 37 games and he gradually became a big part of the Palmeiras team.
However, the following year, Jesus became a mainstay in the Brazilian club’s side as he scored 13 goals in 27 league games. His performances in the prior seasons perked the interest of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City who signed Jesus in August 2016.
From Manchester City to rivals Arsenal
Gabriel Jesus signed for City for a fee of £26.6 million as he was brought in as a long-term successor to Sergio Aguero who scored a total of 260 goals in 390 games for City.
In his first season at the Etihad, Jesus made 10 Premier League appearances at the age of 20 and scored seven goals which confirmed to many City fans that he was a real talent and could develop into a star. He helped City to their first league title under Guardiola.
The following year, Jesus began to play a lot more for City as he became a reliable option for Pep Guardiola to bring off the bench when they needed a goal. He scored 13 goals in 29 Premier League games leading City to another league title.
In 2018/19, Aguero began to slow down which meant that Jesus got more and more of an opportunity. He scored 21 goals in 47 games in all competitions for Guardiola’s side which was his best season so far at the age of just 22.
In the following three seasons, Jesus became more of a mainstay in City’s starting XI as he scored 31 goals in three Premier League seasons before he was eventually sold to Arsenal for a fee of £45m after winning four League Titles, four League Cups and an FA Cup with Pep Guardiola.
After joining Arsenal, Jesus was expected to become their main striker giving the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli someone to feed up front.
In his first season at the Emirates, Jesus scored 11 goals in 26 Premier League games and helped the Gunners to challenge for the league title against City, the first of the title battles between Mikel Arteta and his former boss in Pep Guardiola.
Following that, expectations were high in the 2023/24 season, but Jesus really struggled, especially with injury problems.
The Brazil international made 27 appearances in the league, scoring just four goals and losing his regular starting spot up front to former Chelsea man Kai Havertz.
So far this season, 11 games in, Gabriel Jesus has scored no goals in nine Premier League games, he has become a regular on the bench for Arsenal.
Recent reports are suggesting that the attacker could be on his way out either in January or in summer as LondonWorld are reporting that the Gunners could cash in on Jesus to help fund an elite striker to help them win the league title.
Three things you didn’t know about Gabriel Jesus
Many footballers have sacrificed things to practice during their youth, but Jesus sacrificed a lot. He used to leave home at 5am to walk four miles to training in flip-flops as he couldn’t afford the bus.
Furthermore, Jesus also used to train at a football pitch belonging to a prison outside Sao Paulo, he could be found there virtually every day, looking to hone his skills.
Gabriel Jesus will no doubt have an impressive contacts list in his phone, none more so than former Brazil striker Ronaldo. The pair struck a friendship as Ronaldo saw a lot of him in Jesus. According to Arsenal, the striker revealed in 2016: “We speak a lot and I know now that, if I ever have any doubts or questions, I can ask. I’m very proud about that. He was the best player I ever saw.”
