Gabriel Jesus (Getty Images)
According to Globo (h/t Daily Star), Barcelona are keen on signing Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus ahead of the new campaign to bolster their attack.
The report suggests that the Catalan giants have been long-time admirers of the Brazilian as they have inquired about the availability of Jesus on several occasions in the past. It is also claimed that City boss Pep Guardiola is ready to push Jesus in a deal to bring Lionel Messi to the Etihad after the Argentine talisman expressed his desire to leave Camp Nou.
Born in Brazil, Jesus flourished through the ranks of Palmeiras’ youth system. In his final season with the South American outfit, he scored 16 goals and was named the best player in the Brazilian League. His impressive performances earned him a move to Manchester City in January 2017.
Though he initially struggled for game time at Etihad, Jesus has grown to become a key figure of the squad. Despite playing a secondary role to Sergio Aguero, the Brazilian has been at the top of his game. He has helped the English outfit lift several trophies, including two league titles and one FA Cup title.
At 23, he has already been capped 39 times for Brazil and played a key role in Brazil’s Copa America-winning campaign in 2019. He has made 153 appearances for City so far, scoring an impressive 68 goals and 30 assists.
After a humiliating loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, new Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman is looking to make an overhaul of the squad. The Daily Mail suggests that the Dutch tactician has told star striker Luis Suarez to leave this summer as he has no future with the club.
Apart from the Uruguay international, the Catalans have just one striker in Martin Braithwaite, who was signed last February. The Danish international was deprived of regular game time and hasn’t been up to the mark. Thus, a centre-forward is a must with a view for the future.
In that regard, Jesus would be a fantastic addition to the squad. He was in brilliant form in the 2019/20 campaign and made the best use of Aguero’s time on the sidelines. In 53 games, the Brazilian racked up 23 goals and 14 assists and was the hero in their Champions League tie against Real Madrid.
He has been scoring goals on a regular basis and could be a perfect replacement for the ageing Suarez. Moreover, Jesus, who is just 23, has immense experience at the highest level and still has a huge future ahead of him. He could lead the Catalans’ attack in the future and should only get better with experience.
With Suarez’s future uncertain and Braithwaite out of form, it is necessary for Barcelona to bring in young and in-form strikers. And Jesus, who has already been successful with City, could provide them with some much-needed quality. Thus, signing the Brazilian would be a smart signing by the La Liga giants.
