The January transfer window is a time for big decisions and it appears Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have already made one big one
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have seemingly decided to hold onto Gabriel Jesus, despite reports they were going to sell him in January. Following Viktor Gyokeres’ £63.7million arrival from Sporting Lisbon last summer, Jesus’ future in north London seemed uncertain.
However, with the former Manchester City forward seemingly over his injury troubles, Arteta has apparently had a change of heart and is now eager to give him another opportunity. As Gyokeres has found it difficult to adapt to the Premier League it seems Jesus will be required to help the Gunners challenge across four competitions.
He featured in Arsenal’s League Cup quarter-final triumph over Crystal Palace, though he was substituted before Arteta’s men prevailed on penalties. While Jesus’ departure appeared almost certain leading up to the January transfer window, he now looks set to stay put.
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According to The Athletic, Arsenal will probably retain the Brazilian for as long as possible. With the north Londoners possessing one of Europe’s strongest squads, they are believed to be in no hurry to pursue new additions.
It’s also reported that Jesus has “re-asserted himself as an important” figure in Arteta’s squad, indicating he is no longer viewed as expendable. Back in October, the Mail suggested the likelihood of Arsenal selling Jesus after Christmas was significant.
It seems Arsenal are keen to keep hold of Jesus to ensure they have ample cover in the forward areas. Gyokeres’ injury in November saw Mikel Merino, a natural midfielder, step up to play centre-forward.
However, with Jesus now back to full fitness, Arteta has promised more opportunities for the 64-cap Brazilian international. Speaking at a press conference ahead of Arsenal’s League Cup clash against Palace, Arteta said: “You can see now, not only in games but every day in training, how much he wants it. He’s going to deserve a chance soon.
“I watched him when he was seven months [off] the pitch, and the way he was moving and how much he wanted it. I think he wrote a beautiful letter [on The Players’ Tribune ] explaining what football means to him and how it affects his life. It was something beautiful.
“I think that’s probably the biggest quality of Gabi: bringing people together, connecting with people and generating a lot of uncertainty in the opponent. When you’ve seen [against Everton] the amount of spaces that he was involved in, that’s his biggest quality – so we need to exploit that.
“It’s been a really intense journey, I would say. I think when he joined us, he lifted the belief, the spirit and the energy of the club and the team.
“I think he gave something very different to what we already had and it was really impressive. And then he had some very bad injuries that haven’t allowed him to have the consistency that we need from a very important player.
“But he’s back. I think his fighting spirit, his desire to always prepare the best way…it’s unbelievable. The team has got it now and we need to use it.”
Jesus will be keen to feature in Arsenal’s home match against Brighton and Hove Albion on 27 December. They remain two points ahead of City at the top of the Premier League.
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