Arsenal prepared to listen to Gabriel Jesus offers in the summer transfer window with the Brazilian now playing second fiddle to Kai Havertz
Fans have witnessed glimpses of Jesus’ brilliance, reminiscent of his performances from the previous season, but these moments have been sporadic at best in the current campaign. Hence, despite having a contract until 2027, Jesus’ future at Arsenal is far from certain. According to The Athletic, the club is eyeing reinforcements in attack and could be open to offloading Jesus or Eddie Nketiah to facilitate incoming transfers. Although no concrete offers have surfaced yet, Arsenal’s sporting director Edu Gaspar has initiated talks with potential suitors, suggesting that Jesus may have options elsewhere in Europe.
The emergence of Havertz has reshaped the team’s dynamics, pushing Jesus down the pecking order. Since the end of January, Jesus has started just two league games, while on three occasions he remained an unused substitute – which is definitely an ominous sign for a striker of his calibre. Although data comparisons with Havertz reveal similar expected goals (0.4/90 minutes) and successful duel averages (6/game), a stark difference lies in their conversion rates and chance-taking abilities. While Havertz’s shot conversion is at 21 per cent, Jesus is stuck at seven per cent. Meanwhile, Havertz has successfully converted 48 per cent of his big chances and Jesus has lacked that cutting edge with a mere 30 per cent conversion rate.
In April, Jesus admitted that he is still struggling with the knee issue that he picked up during the 2022 World Cup.
“In my best moment, one of my best moments in my career, I went to a World Cup and ended up getting injured and today I still have these little problems with my knee,“ he said.
“I honestly don’t know if my knee will be good enough to be available, but it’s still three months away, so we’ll see what happens. Even here at Arsenal, there are things that you have to hold on to: go train, play, train today, don’t train, play. In short, it’s difficult, but my desire is always to be available for both Arsenal and the national team.
“It doesn’t matter if, at the end of the season, I have to open up my knee and correct what’s getting in the way and end up missing out on a chance to play in the Copa America. I’m just trying to get fit and help Arsenal as much as I can.”
