He has been with the club for just over a year now. Announced in August 2016, Gabriel Jesus joined the blues the following January and made an instant impact. Costing City a (now very modest) £27 million, the young Brazilian made an instant impact.
Making his first start on February 1st he first assisted and then scored a goal. His massive high would soon turn to a big low, when he broke the metatarsal in his right foot. Expected to be out the rest on the season, but he returned just in time for the Manchester derby.
This season he has also suffered another injury set back, and hasn’t quite been the same since he came back. A total of 43 appearances has seen the number 33 score 18 times, a goal ratio of one every two and a half games.
News coming out of the Etihad this past week is that Gabriel Jesus had been offered, and turned down a new offer. Does that mean he wants to leave Manchester City? Not necessarily, and not that likely. His current deal runs until 2021 and this was going to be an improvement on that.
There should be no nervousness from Blues fans about this young prospect, who turns 21 on Tuesday. Neither party seems worried about the impasse, and are relaxed that a deal can be done. That deal, for obvious reasons, will now have to wait until the end of the season.
Scoring for Brazil in the last International friendly will certainly strengthen the young man’s hand, but the £90,000 a week reportedly offered may not be increased by a great amount. That would leave both parties, and City fans, very pleased indeed.
One thing is for sure, Pep Guardiola rates the guy. City fans enjoy having him on their side and, with Sane, Sterling and co the youthful City attack could strike fear into opposition defenses, both domestic and European, for many years to come.
Although the potential is that young Gabby has a fantastic World Cup in Russia, and comes back with a big head. If that’s the case, and negotiations start to get silly, I think you’ll see Pep end the conversation. The ideal scenario would be to show him the League Cup, Premier League and possibly Champions League trophy. Nothing else would need to be said.