Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has responded emphatically to claims the club are set to sell Gabriel Jesus in January. The future of the Brazilian forward has become the subject of intense speculation, with him scoring just once in 18 matches this season.
And adressing the media ahead of a Champions League clash with Monaco tomorrow night, Arteta was asked if he was preparing for a sale when the January window opens in a few weeks' time.
He replied bluntly: "No, no sense [to sell him]."
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Jesus was hailed as a huge addition by club fans when he signed from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, for a £45million fee. But his time in London has been plagued by form and fitness issues, managing just 20 goals in 87 appearances.
And he's been reduced to a bit-part role in the 2024/25 campaign, having not started a game since the 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest on November 28. His deal at the Emirates, however, does not expire until the summer of 2027.
The Gunners were linked to a host of big-name strikers last summer, and were touted to move for the likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokores.
That followed widespread perceptions that Arteta's squad lacks the prolific finisher needed to finally land a Premier League title - but no bids for new forwards materialised.
However, Arteta's current injury list means he's unlikely to willingly let many first-team players go next month. Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko were sidelined on the weekend, while Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber also reportedly missed training today.
And the Spaniard argued the disruption had affected his side, with his selection for Tuesday again set to be impacted. "We have to manage a lot of the players," he said.
"Some of them probably aren’t going to be fit. Some are still a doubt. We have 24 hours to make a decision and hopefully it’ll be the right ones. It is what it is. We need to accept the reality and move forward."
Jesus has endured lay-offs in each of his three seasons with the club, missing two weeks last August with a groin problem. And Arteta said there were various reasons as to why his players were frequently going down.
"It’s a knock on effect," he argued. "We have a lot of joint injuries and some through tackles. The other ones probably is overload. The knock on effect of not having players available is not a good thing."
