Gabriel Jesus

Romano confirms Arsenal-Napoli talks over Gabriel Jesus, hanging on Napoli's own sales

Gabriel Jesus, 29, is entering the final year of his contract and is now only third choice behind Viktor Gyökeres and Kai Havertz. Napoli, who already approached him in 2023, are back in for him and Arsenal have set a £17m minimum. Two concrete obstacles hold the deal up: the Brazilian's wages, hard to carry in Serie A, and his preference for staying in England. No formal bid at this stage.

Latest development

**UPDATE 16/08 (evening) — he did not travel either.** Gabriel Jesus was left out of the Community Shield squad against Manchester City, like Martinelli and Nwaneri. Arteta pointed to the cap on registered players; the English press, for its part, files the Brazilian among the exits the club expects before 1 September, with a sale to Napoli valued at around £20m. That is consistent with the asking price coming down to ≈€15-20m in recent days, but it does not move the file up a stage: still no Napoli offer lodged, and wages remain the obstacle. **UPDATE 15/08 — Romano joins the file, which moves to the talks stage.** Fabrizio Romano confirms that Arsenal and Napoli have indeed discussed the possibility of a deal for Gabriel Jesus, which moves the line from interest to talks: it is the first time a top-tier source has validated contact between the two clubs, where until now the file rested only on second-tier Italian and English outlets. The conditions attached are also the limits of the file. Any move must be permanent, not a loan with an option, because the Brazilian's contract expires at the end of the season. It depends first on further Napoli sales: Romelu Lukaku's move to Fenerbahçe (over €6m) freed up a forward slot, but it is not enough to fund the deal. Then there are the wages, the real obstacle — Napoli's salary cap makes personal terms trickier than expected, and Football Italia notes that Fenerbahçe, Besiktas or Milan would be out of reach on that front if any of them moved. One detail that explains why the file keeps running: Jesus shares an agent with Napoli head coach Massimiliano Allegri, and that agent has been spotted several times at the Castel di Sangro training camp in recent days. What is established: club-to-club talks, validated by Romano, and the asking price down to around €15m. What is not: no agreement on personal terms, no bid lodged. Several sources (FootballTransfers, TheHardTackle, Tribuna, May-June 2026) converge: Jesus changed agents and says he's open to an exit, with stated interest in Serie A ('I dreamed of playing in Italy', quoted to ESPN Brazil). Sports Mole (July 2) now floats Juventus alongside Milan/Atlético, with Arsenal said to have lowered their price to £20-25m to facilitate a sale. Conflicting signals on whether he actually wants to stay. **UPDATE July 3**: Yardbarker/OneFootball report the opposite angle — Jesus is said to be determined to stay at Arsenal and see out his contract, not pushing for an exit, while still leaving the door open to a Serie A move he's long dreamed of. No official bid known at this stage; genuinely conflicting signals depending on the outlet. **UPDATE 12/08 — Napoli enter the picture.** Sports Mole (8 and 10 August, via CaughtOffside), GiveMeSport and Daily Cannon report that Napoli have a serious interest in Jesus, and that Arsenal have set a floor: no sale below £17m (≈€20m). The club are said to be open to letting him go, with a year left on his deal, all the more so as squad-player sales are what funds the end of the window after net spending passed £100m with Bruno Guimarães. What is established: Napoli's interest and the asking price, carried by several concordant outlets. What is not: no bid has been lodged and no negotiation is open. Two real obstacles remain — Jesus's wages, way above Serie A norms, and his stated preference for staying in England. Status unchanged: interest, nothing more. **UPDATE 12/08 (evening) — the agent applies the brakes.** Get Italian Football News carried comments on 12 August from Gabriel Jesus' agent, who says the chance of reaching an agreement with Arsenal is remote at this point and that a Napoli move is very hard to put together. Italian outlets cite two concrete obstacles: Arsenal will only accept a permanent transfer, not a loan, and Napoli must first offload Romelu Lukaku before they can move. FootballPlace add that the Brazilian would be willing to take a pay cut to leave. The asking price is unchanged at £17m (≈€20m). Status unchanged, but the file is not progressing. **UPDATE 14/08 — Jesus says no to Turkey, Arsenal cut the price, Napoli free up a slot.** CaughtOffside, picked up by LiveScore and Vital Football, wrote on 13 August that the Brazilian has turned down two lucrative Turkish offers: he wants to stay in a major European league. At the same time Arsenal are said to have cut their asking price from ≈€20m to ≈€15m to unlock an exit before deadline day. The third piece, in Italy: Napoli have sold Romelu Lukaku to Fenerbahçe for more than €6m (£5.1m) according to Fabrizio Romano, freeing the striker slot they were looking to rebuild. What is established: the rejected Turkish offers and the lower price, reported consistently. What is not: no Napoli offer has been tabled, and the player's agent still called an agreement distant on 12 August. The file stays at interest level, but the obstacles are falling one by one.