Jesus: I'm not bothered by being Barcelona's second choice

Spanish club Barcelona announced the signing of Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus from English side Arsenal on a contract running until 2029, after failing to secure Argentine forward Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. The Catalan club stated in a press release, “Barcelona and Arsenal have reached an agreement regarding the transfer of Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus,” while Spanish media reported the deal was valued at approximately 10 million euros ($11.5 million). Jesus, 29, arrives to bolster Barcelona’s attack, which was weakened by the earlier summer departures of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. This prompted Brazilian winger Raphinha to start the first three matches of the season as a central striker, scoring five goals. The Spanish league champions had sought to sign Alvarez throughout the summer, but Atletico Madrid refused to enter negotiations with the Catalan giants. Responding to questions about being Barcelona’s second choice after Alvarez, Jesus said, “It doesn’t bother me.” He added, “I have the opportunity to be here at Barcelona. I had a chance 10 years ago, but life took me in another direction. Now I can be here, and that is like a dream for me.” He continued, “I always want to give my best. I am a hardworking person, I know my potential, but I believe hard work always pays off.” Jesus is Barcelona’s seventh signing of the current summer transfer window, following the acquisitions of Englishman Anthony Gordon, German Karim Adeyemi, Belgian Jassir Bessyo, Portuguese Joao Cancelo, 2026 World Cup best player Rodri, and Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. Barcelona’s German coach Hansi Flick described Jesus as “a striker of the highest caliber.” Jesus attended the match at Camp Nou on Monday to watch Barcelona’s 5-2 La Liga victory over Rayo Vallecano, prior to the official announcement of his transfer.