Arsenal will have a crucial decision to make regarding the future of Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus in the summer.
The 28-year-old’s contract expires in the summer of 2027, and there is little indication at this stage that the North London club are looking to offer him an extension. Since returning from his ACL injury at the backend of 2025, Jesus has netted five times across all competitions, proving more reliable than many expected him to be following his significant fitness setback.
That said, Viktor Gyokeres seemingly remains the first-choice striker in Mikel Arteta’s pecking order, which may ultimately prove to be a catalyst for a summer departure for Jesus.
Alan Smith issues warning about Gabriel Jesus’ Arsenal future
Jesus has endured a difficult three-and-a-half years at Arsenal since his £45 million move from Manchester City. Consistently hindered by injury issues, the talented forward has been limited to just 114 appearances throughout his time in N5.
Many believed he would hardly feature for the Gunners this season following his ACL tear, yet he’s managed to make a few telling contributions in Arteta’s side’s pursuit of silverware. Rio Ferdinand described Jesus as ‘critical’ to the Arsenal dressing room this week, because of his experience winning major honours, and the number nine’s manager continues to show faith in him.
Despite this, Alan Smith believes the striker could be a problem for the Gunners when the summer arrives. Not only could his hefty wages make it difficult for Arsenal to move him on, but Smith also believes that he’ll be a difficult man to replace if the North Londoners are able to sanction an exit.
“It’s an in-between one with him because he can do a job for the team quite often off the bench,” Smith told Best Betting Sites UK (via Gooner News).
“I don’t see him as a regular starter. He would be a good man to have in that squad, but then, his injury record isn’t great. So it’s not an easy decision, but if you’re going to get a replacement for him, he’s going to probably cost quite a lot of money.
“So it might be that they think about keeping him.”
Arsenal shouldn’t keep Gabriel Jesus beyond this summer
On his day, Jesus is a supremely talented footballer. However, at this stage of his career, having suffered the injuries he has, he’s not able to replicate this form on a consistent basis anymore.
Martin Keown believes Arsenal miss Kai Havertz in the German’s absence, and it’s likely that the former Chelsea man will eventually surpass Jesus in the pecking order when fully fit. Meanwhile, Gyokeres has only been in N5 since last summer and likely isn’t moving on anytime soon.
This makes Jesus the obvious candidate to leave the Emirates in the summer, and given his age, pay package and declining physicality, this would be the best decision for Andrea Berta to make.
If the Gunners can find the maverick attacker a new home, then they should do what they can to make the deal happen.
