Despite not yet receiving a new offer from the club, the Brazilian forward remains keen to extend his stay at Arsenal.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months away from the pitch. Those painful periods reshaped not only Gabriel Jesus’ outlook on life, but also how he now sees his career. His priority is simple: staying fit and finishing the season strongly. If he can do that, he wants to tie his future to Arsenal—by renewing his contract and winning trophies with the club.
Arsenal signed Jesus from Manchester City in 2022 with big expectations. But those hopes have largely gone unfulfilled. Performances aside, the Brazilian striker has struggled to stay on the field, spending long spells sidelined by injury. Only last month did he return after nearly 11 months out with his latest setback.
Jesus is fully aware that he hasn’t been able to contribute as much as he would have liked. Speaking at a press conference on Monday ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan, he admitted that his sole focus for now is simply being available to play.
“My first objective is to stay fit. This is my fourth season at Arsenal, but unfortunately I’ve probably only been on the pitch for one and a half or two seasons. The rest of the time I’ve been injured.”
“These things happen. It had never happened to me before, but since coming here it has. I don’t know why, and I don’t question it anymore. I’m just trying to stay fit. I want to be on the pitch properly until the end of the season.”
And what comes next if the season ends well? Jesus’ current contract runs until next season, but he made it clear that he has no shortage of desire to extend it.
“I’ve said it before, I want to stay at Arsenal. Of course, we’ll have to talk about the contract as well. I’ve already made my wish clear—I want to extend and stay here. I want to win trophies with Arsenal, because that’s why I came here.”
“Reality, of course, can be different. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Right now, all my focus is on staying fit and winning trophies with Arsenal.”
Head coach Mikel Arteta recently stated that the club has no intention of letting Jesus leave during the January transfer window. However, the forward confirmed that he has not yet received a formal contract offer from the club.
Since returning from injury, Jesus has also noticed a shift in his role at Arsenal. Competition for places has intensified, with the likes of Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres fighting for the same attacking spots.
Still, Jesus has no issues with that competition.
“He’s a top-quality striker. He scored a lot of goals at his previous club, and I’m sure he’ll find a way to do the same for us. He’s the kind of striker who can score at any moment. Then there’s Kai as well—he’s outstanding, a fantastic striker.”
“I’m just happy to be back on the pitch. Over the past 11 months, I’ve had to fight the toughest injury of my life. I’m pleased with the way I’ve returned. At a club like Arsenal, no one’s place is guaranteed. We’re all here to help the team win and to lift trophies at the end of the season.”
