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Gabriel Jesus' agent Marcelo Pettinati has confirmed that Chelsea tried to sign his client before the player decided to move to Arsenal. The Brazilian forward has arrived as a marquee signing at the Emirates Stadium from Manchester City for a fee of around £45 million.
The Blues, however, made a late attempt to rival the Gunners in the deal. Speaking to journalist Freddie Paxton, Jesus' agent said (via Twitter):
“Chelsea were one of the teams that tried to hijack the Arsenal move. They tried very hard in the final days to get him. By that point, we’d already chosen our new project.”
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Chelsea were in the market for a new forward this summer. The Blues allowed Romelu Lukaku to return to Inter Milan on a season-long loan deal this summer.
The Belgian international arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer for a club-record fee of £97.5 million. However, Lukaku did not have the impact many expected, as he ended the 2021-22 season with just 15 goals across competitions.
Gabriel Jesus was one of the forwards available in the market this summer after Manchester City signed Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and Julian Alvarez from River Plate.
However, it was Arsenal who won the race for Jesus' signature. The 25-year-old made an instant impact, netting a brace on his debut against FC Nurnberg in a pre-season friendly. Mikel Arteta's side secured a 5-3 win.
Arsenal were in dire need of a new centre-forward after both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette departed the club on free transfers this year.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal lose out to Barcelona to sign Raphinha
Both the Gunners and Chelsea lost out to FC Barcelona in the race to sign Brazilian star Raphinha this summer. The 25-year-old winger was officially unveiled as a Barcelona player earlier this week. The Blaugrana have signed him from Leeds United.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have signed a player from Manchester City. The Blues have brought in Raheem Sterling for a fee of £47.5 million. According to Sky Sports, signing the England international was a priority for manager Thomas Tuchel.
The 27-year-old winger has penned a five-year contract that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2027.
