Barcelona are on the verge of securing Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus in a deal valued at £8.6m (€10m), with the transfer understood to be in its final stages.
While outstanding contractual minutiae still require resolution, the Brazilian forward is anticipated to put pen to paper prior to the closure of the summer window on Tuesday. The 29-year-old is scheduled to undergo a medical examination in Catalonia on Monday.
Napoli had registered interest in the former Manchester City frontman, but Jesus has opted for a switch to the reigning La Liga champions. Since arriving at the Emirates in 2022, he has notched 32 goals and provided 22 assists across 123 outings for the north London club.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed to reporters on Thursday that Jesus had been absent from first-team training in the buildup to Monday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa. When pressed on whether the omission signaled an impending departure, Arteta responded: “Personal situations, whatever they are, I think it’s clear.”
Should the deal be finalized, Jesus would become Barcelona’s third acquisition from an English top-flight side this summer, following the earlier captures of Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon and Manchester City’s Rodri.
The Blaugrana’s efforts to land Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez—who was also on Arsenal’s radar—appeared to hit a dead end earlier this week, with sources informing BBC Sport that Atlético refused to entertain negotiations with their domestic rivals.
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