According to Brazilian outlet RTI Esporte, Arsenal had approached Botafogo for a loan deal for their attacker Igor Jesus. However, the latter club turned down the offer as they are looking to offload the player on a permanent basis.
Who is Igor Jesus?
After representing a series of clubs, Igor Jesus returned home club Botafogo last summer. He has been an absolute beast on the field, extracting great numbers. His impressive performances have attracted interest from multiple clubs.
Jesus was breathing fire last season with his displays on the field. He scored 25 goals and provided nine assists in 56 games in the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged 2.5 shots, 0.9 key passes, and 0.5 dribbles per game (stats via whoscored).
The Brazilian attacker plays as a striker and has good physical strength. He can handle the pressure and his ball-holding ability is also commendable. He is a reliable man in aerial duels and provides clinical finishing touches around the penalty box.
Arsenal are linked with multiple attackers
Arsenal is in the market searching for a quality attacker after their star player Bukayo Saka suffered a hamstring injury. As he is set to miss many weeks, the situation became worse with Raheem Sterling’s knee problems.
Mikel Arteta understands the need to sign a forward on an immediate basis as the season is still long. Hence, the Gunners approached Botafogo for Igor Jesus. However, the Brazilian club isn’t keen on letting the player leave just on a loan deal.
Botafogo wants a permanent deal on the table as they are ready to book profits on the attacker. While Igor has a €100m release clause on his contract, €20m should be enough to get the deal done.
Arsenal are also linked with several attackers including Wolves star Matheus Cunha, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko but signing any of these in the middle of the season is almost impossible.
