Palmeiras‘ efforts to secure a return for Gabriel Jesus were thwarted after Arsenal made it clear that the striker was not for sale.

That’s according to an interview in O Globo, via Sport Witness, with Palmeiras president Leila Pereira, who confirmed the contact.

Palmeiras had hoped to bring back Jesus, who left the Brazilian club in 2017 for Manchester City before moving to Arsenal, to lead their attack in the upcoming expanded Club World Cup.

Reports in Brazil suggested Palmeiras wanted a marquee signing for the tournament, and Jesus was seen as the ideal choice to boost their chances.

Speaking with O Globo, Pereira explained that they contacted Arsenal to discuss a potential move but were quickly rebuffed. “We got in touch with Arsenal, and they said: ‘Leila, there are no conditions whatsoever. We are not going to negotiate the athlete.’ Closed the subject,” she said.

The Palmeiras president also underlined her commitment to the squad already in place, stating, “Our base are these athletes who are already with us and are extremely successful. There are some positions that Abel would like to reinforce, but I’ll tell you in advance: forget the star. The big star of Palmeiras is the squad. I don’t believe in idols.”

Gabriela Santos, a journalist previously involved in reporting on the story, had already suggested that Arsenal were unlikely to entertain offers from Brazil, indicating instead that any potential sale of Jesus would likely involve another European side.

Whether Arsenal change their stance on Jesus remains to be seen, but for now, he will not be returning to Palmeiras.