Mundo Deportivo: Jesus is eager to win the Champions League; Barcelona believe he shares similar traits with 'Little Spider'

On September 4 Beijing time, according to Mundo Deportivo, Jesus's desire to win the Champions League title was highly appreciated by Barcelona, and this was one of the key factors behind his ability to join the club.

In the final moments before this summer's transfer window closed, Barcelona completed the major signing of 29-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus. Mundo Deportivo first revealed Barcelona's interest in him last Sunday, and the news quickly caused a sensation in world football. Progress then moved rapidly. The following day, Jesus had already arrived in Barcelona to undergo his medical examination.

However, Mundo Deportivo understands that contact between the two sides had already begun at least one week earlier. Throughout the transfer window, Barcelona had remained determined to sign 26-year-old Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez. The Argentine forward was extremely eager to wear the Barcelona shirt, and Laporta, Deco and Flick were all in agreement that they would not allow his desire to join Barcelona to go unfulfilled. But due to Atletico CEO Gil Marin's firm stance, signing Alvarez this summer was extremely difficult. Therefore, the club decided to prepare an alternative plan, with the main objective of bringing the coach a natural No. 9 to complete the final piece of the squad.

Therefore, one week before Mundo Deportivo broke the news, Barcelona had already contacted Jesus to explore his willingness to join the club. At the time, everyone knew that he was not a first-choice starter under Arsenal manager Arteta, and was even behind Havertz and Gyokeres in the pecking order. However, Barcelona still needed to confirm his personal desire. Jesus's attitude was very positive because playing for Barcelona had been his dream since childhood. As early as 2016, he had a chance to join, but Manchester City moved strongly to sign him, leaving Barcelona to miss out.

Barcelona then began a detailed assessment of Jesus's physical condition, especially his knee injury. In fact, during the Costa Brava Cup match on August 1 (Girona 1-4 Arsenal), he came on as a substitute and scored a goal. Barcelona specifically contacted the British medical team that had previously treated his knee and received full assurance that Jesus had completely recovered and was in good physical condition.

Barcelona ultimately decided to sign Jesus because the club valued him as a technically refined No. 9 who excels at combining with teammates. He can drop out of the penalty area and use his individual ability to link play in tight spaces, while also tirelessly carrying out high pressing in the attacking third. The player himself clearly stated that he was willing to follow arrangements and play any position in the attacking line, including on the wing.

In addition, Jesus's desire to win the Champions League deeply impressed Barcelona. Previously, both at Manchester City, where he lost the final to Chelsea, and at Arsenal, where he lost last season's final to Paris Saint-Germain, he had come close to the Champions League trophy but missed out.

Flick highly approved of Jesus, who was recommended by Deco, and his playing style, believing that his technical characteristics are quite similar to Alvarez's. However, it must be emphasized that signing Jesus does not mean Barcelona have given up on Alvarez. The factor that truly convinced Barcelona to finalize the deal was Jesus's extremely affordable transfer fee. Although his contract with Arsenal ran until 2027, the Gunners ultimately only requested a fixed transfer fee of 10 million euros. The two sides signed a three-year contract, and Jesus accepted a significant pay cut compared with his Arsenal salary. Another advantage was that he had already known many Barcelona players from his time at Manchester City and with the Brazil national team.