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Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus is set to join Arsenal. The move has been building for a few weeks now. It took a giant leap last night as Fabrizio Romano provided his signature "Here we go" tweet on the rumored deal.
With Arsenal bidding adiue to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette this year, the Gunners were in need of a new number nine at the club.
Jesus can be an excellent option for the same. He is a versatile striker who has won Premier League titles already. The Gunners will hope that he can spearhead their attack in the coming years. Here we will take a look at three possible frontlines Mikel Arteta could opt for with Jesus in his team.
#1 Gabriel Jesus as the goalscoring forward
Arsenal played the 4-2-3-1 formation for the majority of last season. It worked to a great extent for the Gunners as Arteta's team seemed smooth in possession and build-up play.
With Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli playing in the wings, Jesus can slot into the solo forward role. Martine Odegaard could play the number 10 role with Fabrio Vieira as his deputy.
Jesus' role here would be to be the goalscorer for the team. He can be a smart fit for the role of the fox in the box due to his stature and his excellent finish abilities.
Furthermore, his excellent ball control could help in bringing more players into the game in the final third.
#2 Jesus can play out wide
The verstality of Jesus is underrated. He can play and has done so before on the wings. Pep Guardiola has used him on multiple occasions on the wings in a fluid front-three system.
At Arsenal, Jesus can operate with Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli as part of a front-three where all three players can switch positions alternatively.
He is a direct dribbler from the wings, which will allow him to run to the bylines before drawing in the ball for the players int the box. He was deployed on the right hand side of a front-three at City. Doing so at Arsenal would mean Saka would have to switch over to the left.
#3 Two-man forward with Nketiah or Martinelli
Jesus can also fit into a two-man forward system due to the personnel at Arsenal. He has played previously alongside Sergio Aguero at City and can do so again in north London.
If Arteta chooses to opt for a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2 formation ,Jesus can fit in with Nketiah or Martinelli. He is good with interplay and swapping roles in a front-two system. Arsenal can deploy this in games where they are likely to have less possession and need to be more direct with their attack.
Jesus might not be a traditional number nine in holding up balls for his teammates but he can offer that service in other ways. His nimble foot makes it difficult for defenders to knock him off possession.
Moreover, he is also good at dropping deep to make space for his partners to run into the empty space behind. It all depends now how well Arteta can use him if Arsenal end up signing the 25-year-old Brazilian.
