Barcelona move for Gabriel Jesus as Atlético keep the Álvarez door closed

Barcelona have reportedly begun exploring a move for Gabriel Jesus. According to Fernando Polo, the Catalan club have already held initial talks regarding the Arsenal striker and consider him an alternative to Julián Álvarez.

Barcelona spent a significant part of the summer trying to bring Atlético Madrid to the negotiating table for Álvarez. Atlético have consistently refused to discuss his departure, leaving the operation effectively blocked. The Argentine remains the preferred option, but Barça have now turned towards a considerably more obtainable centre-forward.

Fernando Polo reports that Barcelona want to attempt to sign Jesus before the transfer window closes. There is currently no confirmation of an official bid, an agreement with Arsenal or personal terms with the Brazilian. The first contacts are understood to have taken place to establish whether the deal can be completed.

Jesus’ situation in London gives Barcelona reasons to believe negotiations are possible. His contract expires on 30 June 2027, making this Arsenal’s final realistic opportunity to collect a substantial transfer fee. Keeping him for another season would create the risk of losing him for nothing next summer.

The 29-year-old’s position under Mikel Arteta has also weakened significantly. Jesus was not included in Arsenal’s squad for their opening two matches and is no longer training with the first team. Arteta attributed the decision to the number of players currently at the club, but the message concerning the striker’s future is difficult to miss. Napoli have also been linked with a move. talkSPORT reported on his removal from first-team training.

Previous reports suggested that Arsenal could accept an offer in the region of £18–20 million. GOAL reported an asking price of at least £18 million. Even after accounting for the player’s salary, the operation would be dramatically cheaper than a move for Álvarez, whose valuation could exceed €100 million.

From a footballing perspective, Jesus fits several of Hansi Flick’s requirements. He can lead the line, move into wide areas and contribute aggressively to the press. He is not, however, a traditional penalty-box striker guaranteed to produce an enormous goal total. His finishing record and injury history make the potential transfer a calculated risk rather than an obvious solution.

Availability may ultimately be the decisive factor. Atlético do not want to sell Álvarez. Arsenal have a striker entering the final year of his contract, playing a reduced role and currently training outside the senior group. An agreement would still have to be negotiated, but this time Barcelona are approaching a door that appears to be open.

Barça began their search with a forward valued at more than €100 million. They may end it with an experienced Brazilian available for a fraction of that amount. The level of ambition has not necessarily disappeared, but the financial scale has been adjusted rather dramatically.

For now, Jesus is a candidate rather than a player close to joining Barcelona. Initial contact does not amount to a transfer, and no formal offer has been confirmed. In the final days of the window, however, an available alternative can quickly become the main solution when the preferred target remains locked inside Madrid.