Gabriel Jesus makes call on Arsenal future as Mikel Arteta eyes new striker

Gabriel Jesus is adamant about staying and battling for his position at Arsenal, despite the club's willingness to entertain offers for the forward this summer.

Jesus was lauded as a game-changing acquisition when Arsenal splashed out £45million to secure him from Manchester City in July 2022. He quickly became Mikel Arteta's first-choice striker and seemed to be a perfect fit for the Gunners.

However, the Brazilian international has had a challenging season due to injuries and has been replaced in the No. 9 role by summer recruit Kai Havertz. Jesus has netted only four times in 24 Premier League appearances this season and has started just four of the last 13 league games.

Arsenal offered Jesus a five-year deal upon his arrival, which still has three years remaining. However, they are open to the idea of him departing, reports the Mirror.

Arteta and sporting director Edu are eager to bring in a new forward in the summer transfer window, with Newcastle's Alexander Isak and Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres among the potential targets.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Jesus has no plans to leave this summer and will instead stay and compete for his spot in the team. Arteta is said to be a big admirer of Jesus as both a player and a leader on the field, but he will still proceed with plans to sign a new striker this summer.

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Jesus has been plagued by knee and hamstring injuries this season, but he's confident of a return to form in the 2024/25 campaign. "This season has been tough I missed pre-season, had surgery again and then had a couple more injuries," he admitted. "I'm doing my best to help the team, and hoping to stay fit so I can do a full pre-season this summer. Then it's a different story."

Rumours are swirling that Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Napoli are all interested in Jesus, and it will be interesting to see if any of these clubs make a move when the summer transfer window opens on June 14. Arteta has always spoken highly of Jesus, with his comments after the player scored in a 2-1 victory over Sevilla in the Champions League last October encapsulating his thoughts.

"He came here for a reason. I think he changed our world. He brought so much belief and energy to that team, Arteta said. " Arteta said. "He needs to step up in those moments. He's done that. That's when a player becomes accountable for the team. He's paramount. He has changed our energy. These games are for big players. He has shown that tonight."

With the Premier League season heading towards a dramatic climax, Jesus will be looking to make an impact before shifting his focus to international duty with Brazil. He is expected to be named in the squad for the Copa America, which takes place from June 20 to July 14 in the United States.