Barcelona have confirmed the deal for Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian forward who has signed for the Spanish giants after the Catalan side’s bid for Julian Alvarez failed. Barcelona were confirmed for the signing on Tuesday, and Spanish newspaper Marca has suggested they paid Arsenal around €10 million ($11.5 million) for the 29-year-old striker.
Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres have been both been impacted in Barcelona’s attack, which Jesus arrives to strengthen at Camp Nou. The club had been looking to sign the Spanish international from Atletico Madrid for much of the summer but Atletico were not willing to negotiate with their La Liga counterparts.
At first it was thought that it was an alternative, but Jesus was ecstatic when it was finally his turn to represent Barcelona. Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, who is largely credited with developing the countryman into a top international, also welcomed him, describing him as a player with good qualities and saying that his style is more in line with their own.
Jesus cheered on Barcelona’s La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on Monday. The club had been thinking about playing the new season without the traditional centre-forward, especially given the impression Raphinha made when he played in the central position.
The former Manchester City striker now gets an opportunity to revive his career in Spain. He was a very prolific player for City before joining Arsenal where his ability was curtailed by injury and competition for opportunities. Barcelona will be hoping that Jesus can deliver the depth, experience and versatility they need as they hold their own at home and take on the stage of Europe.
