Barcelona suddenly recruited Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal for an initial fee of 10 million Euros. The Brazilian striker could become a short-term solution to Hansi Flick's attacking problem, while they have not yet given up on the target Julian Alvarez.
The Gabriel Jesus deal to Barcelona is one of the biggest surprises on the last day of the transfer window. Barcelona only had to pay 10 million Euros in advance to have the services of the Brazilian striker, who signed a 3-year contract at Camp Nou.
Even Flick does not think Barcelona can recruit Jesus, especially for a relatively low fee. The Catalan team needs to add a center forward after Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford successively left the club in the summer.
Jesus is not Barcelona's priority target. Julian Alvarez is the name targeted by the Camp Nou team, but Atletico Madrid resolutely refused to negotiate. Barcelona then had to change direction and quickly make Jesus a more cost-effective option.
Previously, Blaugrana also considered Nicolo Tresoldi of Club Brugge. However, the price of about 50 million Euros offered by the Belgian team caused Deco to change his plans. Jesus, with top-level playing experience and much lower fee, became an attractive option at the end of the transfer window.
Everything happened very quickly. Just a week ago, I received a message that that could happen" - Jesus shared after completing the deal.
The 29-year-old striker is also not worried when Barcelona once prioritized Alvarez. With Jesus, the opportunity to wear the Barcelona shirt had already appeared about a decade ago and this time he has realized that dream.
Barcelona has actually been monitoring Jesus since he wore the Palmeiras shirt, before moving to Manchester City in 2016. However, the current interest stems from Flick's personnel needs rather than the long-term monitoring process before.
Flick needs a center forward who can share the task with the current attacking players. Raphinha must play like an unwilling number 9, while Hamza Abdelkarim is too young. Barca needs a striker who can face solid defenses, help key players rest or create breakthroughs in the final minutes of the match.
Jesus is suitable for that requirement, especially thanks to his pressing ability. Flick prefers a high-intensity attacking style of play and wants strikers to actively put pressure right from the opponent's half. This is a strength that has followed Jesus throughout his career.
Pep Guardiola once assessed Jesus as one of the best strikers in the world in terms of pressing ability and high-intensity play support. Mikel Arteta also used him at Arsenal for similar qualities.
However, Barcelona still has to accept certain risks. Jesus has suffered a serious knee injury and is preparing to turn 30. He affirmed that he has fully recovered, but the ability to maintain stable fitness is still a question mark. Arsenal's priority for Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres also partly reflects Jesus's position in the personnel plan at Emirates.
