Trossard example, Palmeiras offer - Gabriel Jesus clear Arsenal transfer verdict given after bid

Latest Arsenal transfer news as Gabriel Jesus' future is debated by football.london writers after the Gunners reject proposal

Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus has reportedly been the subject of an approach by former club Palmeiras. The Brazilian has fallen down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta, playing just 19 minutes in the Premier League.

Brazilian news outlet Globo Esporte have claimed that the Brazil Serie A side contacted the Gunners in 'recent days' to sound out the possibility of a move to South America. However, it is understood the bid was turned down.

With a fully fit squad, Kai Havertz has often been preferred at centre-forward by Arteta meaning Jesus' starts have been restricted. The 27-year-old has a contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2027 meaning neither party is in any rush to depart.

Here, football.london writers have their say on what is next for Jesus and whether a move away form north London would be the smart move for him.

Josh Holland

It's interesting to see that Jesus has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal. In the 2022/23 season, after his move from Manchester City, he slotted in perfectly at centre-forward. Now, that isn't the case.

His quality, though, off-the-bench means Arsenal have more than enough reason to keep him. His pace is electric and he can be a problem in the box for defences. For the club, it makes no sense to lose him at 27.

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However, for the player, it's a contrasting view. He left Man City for first-team football and it's highly unlikely that he will accept being second choice. It's widely expected that the club will splash the cash on a new centre-forward in the summer, so a move away makes more sense for the Brazilian.

Kieran Horn

An exit for Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal does appear inevitable in the not to distance future. The Brazilian has fallen out of favour with Arteta, largely due to injury issues and the alternative options at his disposal, but that does not mean he should depart imminently.

The Gunners are extremely unlikely to sanction a loan exit with his former club Palmeiras said to have made an initial approach. However, their decision to declare an interest does bring up a talking point of what exactly should be done over his future.

His contract does not expire for another two-and-a-half years and as he is only 27, there is definitely still some value there. A permanent transfer should be what Arsenal are attempting to secure especially with plans to sign an elite-level forward next summer with any funds acquired from his sale to go towards their new marquee striker signing.

James Quinlan

There is a future at Arsenal for Gabriel Jesus. As much as the Gunners want to trail-blaze in their own journey to glory, they can look to rivals Manchester City and Liverpool as examples of clubs who have managed to operate with as many as six world-class attackers on the books at one time, balancing their minutes to keep everyone fit whilst making sure they keep hitting the back of the net.

So ultimately if this is to be the case, Jesus would have to accept he is never going to be Arteta's first-choice centre forward again. His goals can be important, but the wise decision from the club would be to invest in the likes of Alexander Isak or Viktor Gyokeres as a new spearhead for the attack.

If Jesus can't accept a lesser role, then perhaps Palmeiras is the best open option for his career.

Bruna Reis

Unfortunately, Gabriel Jesus' time at Arsenal might be coming to an end and he will be disappointed to not have had the impact he would have wished for at the Emirates. Fans had big hopes for him when he arrived in London after his promising development at Palmeiras and Manchester City.

However, in two seasons, the 27-year-old has struggled to produce the same heights from his days at Palmeiras and at the Etihad. In 76 appearances, Jesus has scored just 19 goals and recorded 15 assists.

After playing a significant part during his first two seasons at the club and making a total of 69 appearances, Jesus can now barely get into the starting team. His value has already had a significant decrease and I feel that Arsenal must act quicker rather than wait until next summer to cash-in, to try and recoup some of the £45m they spent on the Brazilian.

However, it would also be understandable if Mikel Arteta decided to keep him at Arsenal beyond the January transfer window. He would have to accept playing second fiddle to Havertz which could knock his confidence down further and have an impact on his performances off the bench.

With that said, a fresh start with the view of possibly returning to Palmeiras could do wonders for him.

Jack Flintham

In the long term, I don't see Gabriel Jesus being the answer off the bench or otherwise to push Arsenal to that next level. He is not a consistent enough goalscorer to warrant that place in the team and in a title race that can be the difference between winning and finishing runners-up.

Having said that, Mikel Arteta is entirely justified to reject the loan approach from Palmeiras. There is very little benefit for the Gunners in allowing Jesus to leave the club on a temporary basis especially when there is a severe lack of strikers at the club.

It is not as though Arsenal need him to be gaining minutes at present either. If the Gunners had been presented with a permanent offer then it may have been trickier to turn it down considering there are no guarantees of that arriving in January.

But even then, when only free agents can be signed to replace him, I don't think it would have been a wise idea to allow him to leave.

Jake Stokes

It's a shame to see how far Gabriel Jesus has fallen – he looked electric when he first joined Arsenal a couple of years ago. Now, he's struggling to force himself into Mikel Arteta's side ahead of Kai Havertz! Yes, Havertz... That says it all, really.

So, with that being said, I think it would be best for all parties to move on. The Gunners can cash-in before his market value plummets any lower, Jesus can find his feet at his former club and Palmeiras get their hands on somebody who, with time, could very quickly become an exciting striker again.

By offloading the Brazil international, Arsenal might finally decide to sign a new frontman. The north Londoners should've taken a risk in the summer and splashed the cash on a big name like Viktor Gyokeres.

I can understand why Arteta would want to hold onto Jesus until the end of the season. There's always the possibility that he COULD do something special. In the meantime, the Gunners do need to sign a striker in January – Gyokeres would be the dream, but even somebody like Jonathan David, who's been consistently reliable in front of goal for a while now.