Barca find No. 9 solution in Jesus

Barcelona may have found their striker fix, and, surprisingly, it is not Julian Alvarez.

With Atletico Madrid refusing to sell their star striker to their LaLiga rivals, Barca have turned their attention to Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, according to a BBC report, with a £8.6 million (10 million euros) deal reportedly lined up for the Brazilian.

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Jesus joined Arsenal from Manchester City for £45m in 2022 and has scored 32 goals and provided 22 assists in 123 appearances for the Gunners. But his standing at the Emirates has taken a hit in recent seasons, with regular minutes increasingly hard to come by.

His numbers last season told the story; six goals in 27 appearances, with just three Premier League starts. Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres were preferred up front, while Jesus also missed the first three months of the campaign after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January.

Napoli had also shown interest in the 29-year-old, but Jesus is now set to swap north London for Catalonia and travel for a medical on Monday.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta appeared to all but confirm the move on Thursday, revealing that Jesus was not training with the squad ahead of Monday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

Asked if that meant the Brazilian was on his way out, Arteta replied: “Personal situations, whatever they are, I think it’s clear.”

For Barcelona, Jesus represents Plan B after their pursuit of Alvarez hit a brick wall.

Atletico’s board have made it clear they will not sell the Argentina striker to Barca. Things became even more heated in July when Atletico reported Barcelona to the Spanish FA (RFEF) over what they viewed as an improper pursuit of Alvarez, with the complaint relating to an alleged breach of ethics between the clubs.

Barcelona said they were notified of the report by the end of July, with the RFEF subsequently launching an internal investigation.

The Catalan giants had appeared to put all their eggs in the Alvarez basket, with the club reportedly taking the stance of ‘Alvarez or nobody’. But Atletico’s ‘never, ever’ stance has forced Barca back to the drawing board.

With Robert Lewandowski gone, Barcelona have been left without a proper No. 9. Ferran Torres' departure to PSG has also deepened their striker crisis. They have brought in star midfielder Rodri, but the lack of a natural striker has remained an obvious concern heading into the new season.

That concern has not stopped Barca from making a flying start, though. They have scored five goals and then two in consecutive LaLiga victories as they chase a third straight league title.

Raphinha and Anthony Gordon had been considered alternative options to fill the striker role, but neither is a natural No. 9.

Jesus, however, is. After the Alvarez dream was blocked by Atletico, at least for now, Barcelona now appear ready to put their faith in Brazilian to solve their biggest problem up front.