According to the player’s agent, Chelsea “tried very hard” to “hijack” Arsenal’s summer move for Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus had been a consistent performer for Man City over the past few years. He grabbed eight goals and eight assists in the league last term to help Pep Guardiola’s side retain the Premier League title.
City signed Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer for around £51m.
Transfer gossip: Arsenal reach £30m agreement for next signing; Man Utd want German
This clearly made Jesus feel that this was the right time to leave. Arsenal won the race to sign him for a fee in the region of £45m.
The Gunners have also brought in Fabio Vieira this summer and they are close to signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Over at Chelsea, they have bought Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly. Jesus’ agent – Marcelo Pettinati – has now revealed that the Blues attempted to “hijack” Arsenal’s deal for the striker:
“Chelsea were one of the teams that tried to hijack the Arsenal move,” Jesus’ agent Marcelo Pettinati told journalist Freddie Paxton.
“They tried very hard in the final days to get him. By that point, we’d already chosen our new project.”
Elsewhere, Leeds United are reportedly among the clubs interested in Arsenal outcast Nicolas Pepe this summer.
Pepe made a name for himself during his time in France with Lille. He grabbed 22 goals and eleven assists in 38 league outings in 2018/19.
His form that term tempted Arsenal to pay £72m to bring him to the Premier League.
The winger has struggled over the past three seasons though. He only started five times in the league last term. Pepe grabbed one goal and two assists in 20 Premier League outings overall.
Back in May, it was revealed that the Ivory Coast had hired a new agent ahead of this summer with him looking to depart Arsenal. Diario de Sevilla are reporting that Pepe ‘can leave Arsenal’.
Sevilla have ‘contacted’ the English club to discuss the transfer, but ‘it will not be easy’ for the Spanish side the sign him.
It is said that Pepe is ‘also wanted’ by Marseille and Lyon. Leeds meanwhile are eyeing him as a ‘substitute for Raphinha’. The Brazil international has signed for Barcelona.
The report adds that the price for Pepe ‘would exceed €25m’ if he is sold this summer.
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