Two European giants fighting to sign Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus before transfer deadline
Amid all the discourse surrounding Arsenal's potential superstar incoming this week, the North Londoners still desperately need to move a handful of players on.
While the likes of Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson need to find new homes, neither is a real burden on the club, and if they were somehow to stay in N5, it wouldn't be the end of the world. The same cannot be said for Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian is not only on £265,000-a-week, but selling him might actually fetch a relatively significant fee. Reports emerged on Wednesday indicating that Jesus is prepared to see out the final year of his contract at the Emirates and leave for free next summer, which simply cannot run.
The good news for the Gunners is that two major European clubs are reportedly eager to sign the former Manchester City man, and this may ultimately prompt the player to consider leaving in the next few days.
Jesus has endured a difficult few years at Arsenal. After enjoying an exceptional debut season at the Emirates, persistent injury issues have seen him become an increasingly peripheral figure in Arteta's squad, to the point that he's no longer viewed as part of the Spaniard's plans at all.
The 29-year-old has not featured in either of Arsenal's two matchday squads so far this season, and it looks unlikely he'll play any role if he chooses to remain in N5 for the next 12 months. This should be enough to motivate the player to ply his trade elsewhere, and despite reports suggesting the contrary, it appears he might be prepared to part ways with the Gunners.
Speaking on his YouTube channel on Wednesday, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed that Jesus has been carefully assessing his options before making a decision about his future. While this doesn't definitively state whether he's willing to leave, it does point in that direction.
The journalist also revealed that Napoli remain interested in signing Jesus. The Serie A club have been linked with the striker for almost a month now, and they continue to push for his signature.
That said, Gli Azzurri's pursuit of the Arsenal man is said to have stalled due to a lack of attacking sales. New boss Max Allegri has the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Lorenzo Lucca, Giovani Nascimento and Walid Cheddira at his disposal, all of whom are functionally centre-forwards. At least one of these players will need to make way to create squad space for Jesus.
Money and squad space won't be an issue for the other club Romano believes are courting Jesus. Galatasaray are said to be interested in the number nine, and will certainly have the financial capacity to pay Jesus his hefty wages and pay the Gunners a reasonable fee.
Ultimately, while the player might be more willing to sign for the Italian club, Arsenal will likely use the interest from both outfits to spark a bidding war, knowing Galatasaray are likely to come out on top.
Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations
