Arsenal's decision to place a £20million valuation on Gabriel Jesus could pave the way for a new No.9 at the Emirates next season. The Brazilian striker, who has worn the iconic number since joining in 2022, has just 12 months remaining on his contract, and the Premier League champions are willing to cash in rather than lose him for free.
Jesus' Diminishing Returns and Injury Woes
According to The Athletic, Arsenal have set an asking price between £18million and £20million for Jesus, who has attracted attention from multiple clubs this summer. The 29-year-old's game time has been limited since suffering an ACL injury last year, featuring in only 31 league matches over the past two campaigns. His goalscoring has significantly declined, with just 10 league strikes in his last three seasons—one fewer than he managed in his debut campaign alone. While he scored in the final fixture against Crystal Palace, Jesus ended the 2025/26 season with six goals in 27 appearances across all competitions, with Mikel Arteta often preferring Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz in attack.
Who Could Take the No.9?
Jesus' potential exit would free up the No.9 shirt, with several candidates emerging. Viktor Gyokeres, who currently wears the No.14 shirt—a number rich in heritage due to Thierry Henry—is a clear candidate. Kai Havertz is another possibility, but the Germany international has worn No.29 throughout his professional club career, a number he chose because his brother always picked it when playing FIFA. The No.9 could therefore be allocated to a new signing, with Arsenal showing interest in multiple attackers. Per football.london, Julian Alvarez, Bradley Barcola, Christos Tzolis and Morgan Rogers are all on Arteta's radar.
Jesus Speaks on His Future
Jesus addressed his future after the season concluded, expressing his desire to see out his contract. 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." He 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. But like I said, I'm very respectful, I have a lot of respect for the coach, and especially my team-mates."
