Arsenal striker’s hesitance complicates transfer

Napoli’s pursuit of Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has hit a new roadblock over the fact that the player doesn’t currently appear to be open to the move.

Matteo Moretto reports that Gabriel Jesus is currently not open to a move to Napoli, despite a good relationship between the Serie A club and Arsenal.

The striker is reportedly taking his time with a decision on his future, waiting to understand the best solution for him.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Napoli’s pursuit depended on transfer exits and agreeing personal terms with the player. It seems those terms have been harder to agree than the club may initially have anticipated.

There had been some optimism earlier this month, when Fenerbahce agreed a deal to sign Romelu Lukaku from Napoli. That was the first of the exits required to go ahead of the Italian club to move for Jesus. But things have moved slower than expected since then.

Jesus’ agent spoke to the media in early August, confirming the player had at least ruled out a move to Turkey.

“For several months, many clubs have been sounding out the player’s situation to understand Arsenal‘s intentions, numbers and expectations,” Giovanni Branchini said.

“I’ve had three Italian clubs approach me, and a potential fourth had expressed interest at a time when they seemed on the verge of selling an important striker in the squad.

“I can add that apart from a couple of Turkish clubs, rejected because they weren’t interested in going to Turkey, there haven’t been any other significant negotiations.”

Jesus’ situation is further complicated by the fact his Arsenal contract expires next year. The player may well feel he’ll have better options on a free transfer next summer, and that he might be able to keep more of the transfer money for himself than with an Arsenal sale.

But that’s a bit of a gamble, because if he sits on the sidelines and doesn’t play all year, he may find the number of clubs interested in him actually decreases.

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