Arsenal Official Squad Photo 2025/26
Gabriel Jesus has made his long-awaited return from injury (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus says he still wants to one day return to his boyhood club Palmeiras, but ‘it doesn’t make sense’ to leave the Gunners just yet.
Jesus has scored 26 goals in 96 appearances for the Gunners since his £45m move from Manchester City in 2022.
The Brazilian was a key player at the Emirates Stadium during his first two years in north London but a combination of fitness problems and poor form have seen the attacker drop down the pecking order in north London.
A torn ACL has kept Jesus sidelined since January, with the 28-year-old yet to feature this term and only just returning to full first-team training in the last few weeks.
Viktor Gyokeres arrived from Sporting Lisbon over the summer to provide Jesus with more competition, and recent reports had suggested that Arsenal are ‘open’ to offers for Jesus ahead of the January transfer window.
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But Jesus said he is not looking for an exit from north London just yet, telling Brazilian outlet Revista Placar: ‘Coming back from such a complex surgery, it doesn’t make sense for me to leave Arsenal now.’
Jesus is under contract at the Emirates until June 2027, and has not shied away from his desire to one day return to Palmeiras, his boyhood club where he made his professional debut in 2015.
Arsenal Training Session
The Brazil international has been linked with an exit (Picture: Getty)
The Brazilian club have made public their desire to bring Jesus back, with the striker insisting that a return remains his ‘desire’ in the future.
‘I’ve never had contact with another club, and my desire, as I say, is to return to Palmeiras, and Palmeiras’ desire is for me to return to Palmeiras,’ he said.
‘When I feel it’s time to return to Palmeiras, I’ll decide that with Arsenal, but we’re talking about a player who’s been out for nine months and is now fighting to get back into the team, and there are journalists who are talking without any basis whatsoever.’
Atletico MG v Palmeiras - Brasileirao Series A 2016
Jesus began his career at Palmeiras (Picture: Getty)
As Jesus continues to step up his recovery in training, the forward will look to provide competition for Gyokeres and Kai Havertz in the central striker role.
And Mikel Arteta believes the four-time Premier League winner still has plenty to offer the squad.
‘[He is] a player that is very unpredictable, full of energy, super competitive, a player that comes from a context of difficulty in the last few seasons for various nasty injuries,’ said Arteta.
‘So the level of hunger and desire that he’s going to bring to the team is going to be amazing.
‘So I’m thrilled to have him, I think he’s going to add something extra to the team that we don’t have and make sure that very soon we see him on that pitch making an impact for the team.
‘We haven’t had them [all fit] and now we don’t have Viktor, and we haven’t had Kai again for three months or many forwards, and unfortunately that’s becoming something that consistently is happening. So we need those options, and what an option to have with Gabi.’
Arsenal face a key run of fixtures after the international break, hosting Tottenham and Bayern Munich before a trip to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
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