Spanish Media Reveal Jesus' Barcelona Move: Player Pushed for Transfer and Accepted Around €3 Million Pay Cut

Recently, Diario Sport revealed details of Gabriel Jesus' contract. The Brazilian forward previously earned an annual salary of up to €16.1 million at Arsenal, and he made a major financial sacrifice in order to fulfill his dream of wearing the Barcelona shirt.

Sport reported that Deco learned Jesus was available on the transfer market and had not reached an agreement with any other club, although negotiations for a move to Serie A had already progressed significantly at the time. Deco communicated with head coach Hansi Flick, who approved the signing. Deco then began planning a rapid and highly confidential operation.

When 29-year-old Jesus learned that Barcelona were interested in signing him, he agreed without hesitation. Barcelona was the club he had always wanted to join and was also the club he nearly moved to in the summer of 2016.

He instructed his agent team to take all necessary measures to complete the deal, with some members of the team having close relationships with Barcelona's sporting management. He was prepared to fulfill his responsibilities and did not want this opportunity to slip away.

At his Barcelona presentation, Jesus said: "A week ago, I learned that this could happen. I was extremely excited at the time, and everything progressed very smoothly. When it looked like it was really becoming a reality, I felt incredibly excited and happy."

Barcelona clearly explained to the player's team the club's operating limits and the Financial Fair Play allocation reserved for the deal. This included the issue of amortizing the transfer fee, and Arsenal provided significant assistance in this process, which was largely attributed to Jesus' professionalism during his time with the Gunners.

Arsenal sporting director Berta and Barcelona's Deco had maintained a good professional relationship for many years. The two sides eventually finalized the deal, with a total fee of €10 million fixed transfer fee plus €4 million in potential bonuses.

At this stage, Jesus' financial concession played a key role. At Arsenal, he earned a weekly wage of £265,000, equivalent to a pre-tax annual salary of €16.1 million, and Barcelona never considered matching that salary level.

Jesus signed a three-season contract with Barcelona rather than the initially reported "2+1" structure. The agreement strictly follows the club's current salary framework, and the Brazilian accepted and understood this arrangement. His current pre-tax annual salary is around €13 million, meaning the Brazilian international will earn about €3 million less per season, representing a significant reduction in income.

Jesus said: "Yes, I made a financial sacrifice, but I was not the only one involved. Barcelona also made a huge effort to make this transfer happen. I significantly reduced my salary, and coming here feels like a dream. If you had asked me a month ago, I would have told you it was almost impossible. I never imagined that at 29 years old I would still have the chance to join Barcelona and play for the team."