Arsenal make a bid for an 'amazing' striker who could unseat Jesus

ArsenalThe team's 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday evening highlighted the problems facing the team Mikel Arteta facing this season.

Injuries, arbitration controversy, and lack of offensive spark. All three were in form over the weekend and that may have done final damage to the Gunners' title bid.

The only positive was Ethan Nwaniri. The stunning 17-year-old opened the scoring to score his second goal Premier League A goal, but it was withdrawn at halftime after a muscle injury. “It's really bad news,” Arteta confirmed at full-time.

More bad news came in the form of the scoreline at the Amex Stadium as the north London side were dealt a blow when Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after a close encounter between Joao Pedro and William Saliba.

There was a slight touch to the head and the Brazilian went down. However, he was only too happy to jump in and score the resulting penalty.

Ultimately, though, it was Arsenal's lack of creativity that got them nowhere on the south coast. This was due to their lack of firepower, He created only five big chancesonly 3 shots on target (one in the second half) and only 0.88.

As a result, the club definitely needs to get into the transfer market…

Arsenal are targeting a new striker

Last summer, the transfer window was all about Benjamin Cisco. The Slovenian did not arrive.

Talk of a potential move has dominated 2025 so far Newcastle Alexander Isak and Wolves Matthews Cunha.

However, with Isak demands a transfer fee of up to £100m And its being Set pen terms on the new contract At Molineux, Arsenal's transfer team may have to get creative.

Good, According to reports from Brazilthey are. It was said this weekend that Arsenal had made a bid, albeit rejected, for 23-year-old Botafogo striker Igor Jesus.

It is suggested that the Premier League side wanted to loan the player out and put in place a purchase option for around £17m once the six-month temporary deal expired.

The loan deal was rejected by the Brazilian side but they are not opposed to negotiating a permanent exit for their star this winter.

What can Igor Jesus bring to Arsenal?

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last ten league games, but this season has certainly not been easy for the Gunners.

Bukayo Saka's hamstring injury just a few weeks ago has rubbed salt on the wounds but a few players, chief among them Nwaniri and… Gabriel Jesus You stood up when it mattered.

Jesus may not have been able to score in Brighton but he has been on fire lately. He scored six goals in his last five matches In all competitions.

However, the player with the same name may have the potential to usurp him if he arrives this winter from Botafogo.

Through a stint in Dubai and a return to his homeland, Igor Jesus has been on fire over the past year, He scored 25 goals and nine assists In 56 matches during the 2023/24 season, later He praised his “amazing” performance. By journalist Zach Lowe.

He is a regular at the back of the net, and like Jesus he has done so in his native Brazil.

At 23 years old, there is still plenty of potential to be extracted from the Botafogo star and he's not just providing goals. His play feels more rounded than that.

According to FBref statistics-based platformIgor ranks in the top 18% of players in similar positions across leagues which are rated as being comparable in quality to the Brazilian Premier League in terms of progressive passing, highlighting his ability to drop deep and create chances for others.

A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.

To explain this further, he is in the top 9% of strikers in terms of assists and in the top 11% in terms of shooting movements.

Jesus is also very good in the air, winning 3.42 aerial duels per 90 matches, enough to rank in the top 21% for this metric. For context, Its namesake won only 1.18 air battles In the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, Kai Havertz won with 3.61 In the league for the entire 2024/25 season, just a little more.

So, on this evidence, it could be a good acquisition come next January, and a cost-effective one at that.

Arsenal don't just need a goalscorer, they need a chance creator and someone who can win duels; Igor Jesus could be that guy.