Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus will reportedly undergo his medical as a new Arsenal player on Tuesday morning before signing his long-term contract.
The Gunners are believed to have agreed a £45m deal with the Premier League champions to prise Jesus away from the Etihad after a five-and-a-half year stint in Manchester.
Jesus will sign a five-year contract at the Emirates to become the Gunners’ fourth signing of the summer window and is expected to surpass Thomas Partey as the club’s highest current earner.
The 25-year-old supposedly agreed terms on a £220,000-per-week deal to reunite with Mikel Arteta, whom he worked alongside during the Spaniard’s time as Pep Guardiola’s number two.
The latest update from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano affirms that Jesus has already travelled to London, and he will undergo his medical tests on Tuesday morning.
Arsenal are therefore expected to announce the signing of the Brazil international later this week, and he leaves Man City after scoring 95 and setting up 46 goals in 236 appearances for the club.
Jesus won four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, one FA Cup and two Community Shields during his time under Guardiola’s wing, but he was not an undisputed starter at the Etihad.
Jesus contributed eight goals and nine assists to Man City’s Premier League title win last term, making 28 top-flight appearances in total but only starting 21 of them.
Furthermore, the arrivals of Erling Braut Haaland and Julian Alvarez at the Etihad would have pushed Jesus further down the pecking order, and he will expect to become Arteta’s first-choice striker at Arsenal.
The Gunners were left with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as their two senior strikers in the second half of last season following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s exit for Barcelona, and the former has now left on a free transfer to rejoin Lyon.
Nketiah ended the season in strong form with five goals in his final seven Premier League appearances in 2021-22, and the 23-year-old was rewarded with a new long-term contract at his boyhood club.
However, Arsenal were always expected to pursue a marquee signing in the forward areas regardless of Nketiah’s contract situation, as 19-year-old protege Mika Biereth has joined RKC Waalwijk on loan.
Arteta and technical director Edu have already welcomed three new faces to the club this summer, with Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira and Matt Turner all walking through the doors at London Colney.
Turner’s arrival from the New England Revolution was confirmed on Monday, and the Gunners could also pursue a new defender and central midfielder before the window shuts.
Arsenal have allegedly made an improved offer of £35m for Ajax centre-back Lisandro Martinez, but the Dutch giants are thought to be holding out for a fee in excess of £40m.