Gabriel Jesus’ potential exit from Arsenal this summer could make the No.9 shirt available, though the Brazilian’s departure hinges on whether the Gunners’ asking price is met. The 29-year-old – who has sported the iconic number since arriving in 2022 – has just 12 months remaining on his deal, with his future at the Emirates Stadium in doubt.
According to The Athletic, the Premier League champions are willing to cash in while they can and have placed a valuation of between £18million and £20million on Jesus, who has attracted attention from multiple clubs this summer.
The forward’s ACL injury last year has affected his game time as he’s featured in just 31 league matches over the past two campaigns. His goalscoring touch has significantly diminished with 10 league strikes netted in his last three seasons – one fewer than he registered during the whole of his maiden campaign at Arsenal.
While he found the net in the final fixture of the season against Crystal Palace, Jesus concluded the year with six goals in 27 appearances across all competitions, with Mikel Arteta favouring Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz in attack.
Jesus’ prospective exit could lead to one of his colleagues taking the No.9, with Gyokeres the clear candidate. However, the Swede presently wears the No.14 shirt, a number rich in heritage largely owing to its previous owner, Thierry Henry.
Kai Havertz represents another possibility but the Germany international shares a unique bond with the No.29 he’s worn throughout his entire professional club career. Having sported the number for Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen, the forward acknowledged he selected it because his brother would consistently choose No.29 when they played FIFA.
The No.9 could therefore be allocated to a fresh recruit, with the Gunners showing interest in multiple attackers to strengthen their forward options next season. Per football.london, Julian Alvarez, Bradley Barcola, Christos Tzolis and Morgan Rogers are all on Arteta’s radar.
View 2 ImagesJesus wants to see out of his contract at Arsenal(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Jesus addressed his future after the 2025/26 campaign concluded and expressed his ambition to fulfil his contract at Arsenal. He told ESPN: “I still have a year left on my contract with Arsenal. I want to play, I want to prove to myself that I can play at a high level.
“Today [against Palace], I could have scored two or three more goals. This shows me that I’m still a player who can perform at a high level even with such a serious injury. I have my head in the right place, I think every day about how to keep my head in the right place, train hard and stay focused.”
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Speaking about the challenge of enduring the speculation surrounding his future, Jesus added: “There’s a lot of talk [about the future] and I’m being very honest. It’s not easy for a player who is always looking to improve and help on the field with what’s happening.
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“But like I said, I’m very respectful, I have a lot of respect for the coach, and especially my team-mates. I made my contribution when I came back. Many thought I would return calmly, that it would take longer.
“But, from the first Champions League game, I came back with everything, without any doubt, and played most of the games. It’s not easy mentally, but I was resilient and respected the coach.”
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