Mikel Arteta has ruled out a January departure for Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus. The 28-year-old made his long-awaited return from injury as a 62nd-minute substitute in Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League win at Club Brugge.
Having been sidelined since January after undergoing knee surgery, Jesus looked lively in his brief cameo. He was unlucky not to score after seeing his effort crash off the crossbar, and managed to get on the end of several goal scoring opportunities.
Some fans and pundits alike were quick to point out the Jesus mustered more shots on target and touches in the opposition’s box than Viktor Gyokeres who started the match and played for more than an hour. Jesus’ future has been the subject of much speculation due in part to the summer arrival of Gyokeres as well as Kai Havertz’s form in the striker position and the emergence of Mikel Merino is a worthy makeshift option.
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Jesus has been linked with a move to other Premier League clubs this winter for more first team minutes to boost his chances of earning a spot in Brazil’s squad ahead of this summer’s World Cup. A move back to his hometown club Palmeiras in the summer has also been mooted.
His manager Mikel Arteta moved to dismiss the former, saying the player is a part of his plans for the second half of the season. The player’s contract expires in the summer of 2027.
Arteta rules out Jesus departure
Speaking during his prematch press conference on Friday, Arteta was asked whether he would consider allowing Jesus to leave next month.
“No, I don’t consider that and especially with the situation we have right now,” replied Arteta. “I think Gabby has a lot to offer to the team and he is proving that straight away in the first minutes that he was available to play.”
“He has put so much [in] to be in this position again and now the focus is to be with us.”
“A player of his quality, a player who has given us so much and when he comes with the energy he did the other day, he is certainly a player who has to be pushing and aiming [to start], that’s for sure.”
Jesus faces tough competition to win back a regular starting spot for Arsenal, with €73 million summer signing Viktor Gyokeres fit again. Kai Havertz is nearing a return to full fitness following a knee problem of his own, while makeshift centre-forward has developed a knack for scoring crucial goals.
Nadji Grizzle
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Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.
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