Gabriel Jesus has dismissed rumors connecting Arsenal to a substantial transfer deal for striker Ivan Toney in the upcoming January transfer window.
Jesus asserts that he continues to be the most suitable all-around choice for the position at the Emirates.
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While the Brazilian has consistently scored in every Champions League appearance this season, his goal drought in the Premier League has sparked conversations about potential alternatives.
In a campaign disrupted by injuries, Jesus has found the net only once in eight domestic games.
With Ivan Toney’s betting suspension concluding on January 16, the Brentford target striker has emerged as a potential upgrade, adding another layer to the ongoing discussions.
“This happens you know – maybe it can be agents talking about a lot of things,” said Jesus.
“I am not the most experienced but I think I have seen a lot of things in football. It happened when I was at Manchester City. I was scoring a lot and people were linking everyone. Here, I don’t care about this. I know what my qualities are and I know what I can bring to the team.
“I can score and I can also help with other things. Those who don’t understand will say: ‘Oh he didn’t score today’ but maybe I run and open space for someone.
“I want to score every game – if it’s possible a hat-trick – but that’s not the reality. In the Champions League this year, I am scoring every game. In the Premier League, I have failed to score sometimes but I am getting better and better every day to improve that. Let’s be honest, I don’t miss a lot of chances.
“I think it is not about: ‘he doesn’t know how to score’. Sometimes I have to be more in the box – that is the one thing I am working on.”
On Wednesday night, Jesus climbed the ranks to become one of the Champions League’s top 50 all-time goalscorers, securing the 24th goal of his career in Arsenal’s decisive 6-0 victory over Lens, propelling them into the knockout stages. “We won the game playing amazingly so that’s good,” he said.
The captain of Arsenal, Martin Odegaard, disclosed that the driving force behind their dynamic performance stemmed from the determination to rectify the shortcomings of their initial encounter in October, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat in France.
“We wanted to pay back a little bit from there so I think you saw that on the pitch,” said Odegaard.
It was a significant victory, marking the most substantial defeat experienced by a French team in European competitions. This achievement sparked discussions about whether Mikel Arteta’s team could emerge as surprise contenders in the current Champions League season.
While suggesting they might be dark horses for the title might be ambitious, Jesus contends that they should be perceived as more than just determined underdogs.
“If you talk about experience in this competition, Arsenal have reached the final in their history. They didn’t win but Arsenal are big. They can go and face strong teams, playing well and that is enough to believe,” he said.
“I’ve already won the Premier League and I want to win that here but I want to win the Champions League as well.”
