Mikel Arteta has revealed his delight at seeing Arsenal finally complete the signing of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City.
The Gunners officially announced the transfer on Monday morning following weeks of media speculation linking him with a move to the north London club.
Gabriel Jesus joins the 13-time English league champions after having spent five years at Manchester City and scoring 95 goals in 236 games for the Citizens, winning four Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola.
The 25-year-old Brazil international has penned a “long-term” contract with the Gunners, a deal which is reported to run until the summer of 2027.
Arteta knows the forward well, after having worked with him as Guardiola’s assistant coach at The Etihad before the Spaniard took over at Arsenal in December 2019.
And Arsenal boss Arteta has now revealed his delight and excitement at seeing the north London club finally close the deal to bring the attacker to The Emirates as the Spaniard looks to steer the Gunners back into the top four next season.
“I’m very excited,” said Arteta. “The club has done a tremendous job to recruit a player of this stature. I know Gabriel personally very well, and we all know him well from his time in the Premier League and being really successful here.
“This is a position that’s been on our radar for a long time now and we have managed to get a player that we all wanted, so I’m really happy.”
Gunners technical director Edu added: “We are delighted that we have secured the transfer of Gabriel. Everyone who knows football well, knows the qualities of Gabriel Jesus.
“Gabriel is a player who we have admired for a long time now. He is 25 years old and an established Brazil international who has consistently demonstrated that he is a player at a very high level.”
Gabriel Jesus’ most prolific campaign for Manchester City came in the 2019-20 season, when he scored 23 goals in 53 games for the Citizens in all competitions.
He made his international debut for Brazil back in 2016 and has since scored 19 goals in 56 games for his country, helping them to win the Copa America back in 2019.
The new Arsenal signing has been handed the number nine shirt at The Emirates following Alexandre Lacazette’s departure on a free transfer this summer.