What will Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha bring to this Arsenal side?
What will Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha bring to this Arsenal side?
By Jonny BrayIf the papers are to be believed, Gabriel Jesus is on the verge of being announced as an Arsenal player, and his compatriot Raphinha is not far behind him.
Signing the two Brazilians would be a real statement of intent from the Gunners.
They would significantly improve Mikel Arteta's starting XV, upfront and in the wide channels.
Jesus has reportedly agreed personal terms on a five-year deal at The Emirates and the striker will move for a fee of £45m following an agreement between the two clubs.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has already reported that a deal is close, and it seems unlikely that it won't go through now.
Other papers are reporting that Raphinha is next on Arteta'slist, and now it looks pretty clear that the Gunners want both players.
But what will the Brazilian stars bring to north London?
Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus is a proven Premier League goalscorer with plenty of years left ahead of him.
Jesus' 58 goals and 29 assists in 159 appearances is an incredibly impressive return for a player who, more often than not, was forced to play second fiddle to Sergio Agüero.
His turnover of 16 goals and assists in 28 games last season was particularly impressive, with the Brazilian international often proving to be a serious attacking threat when given a consistent run of games.
Ultimately, Pep Guardiola never really trusted Jesus, but that doesn't mean he isn't a great player.
He does have some faults though
His best position is still unclear.
He may well have started his career in England as a striker, but over time he has appeared more threatening when cutting in off the right-wing.
His link up play when deployed as a number nine isn't outstanding, and he has often been accused of drifting in and out of games.
But he offers something the Gunners haven't possessed since the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a guaranteed goal threat.
Raphinha
Raphinha is one of the most wanted players in Europe, with seemingly every top club outside of Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid after his signature.
The 25-year-old is an electric winger with the end product, and he could help form a mouth-watering front three alongside Jesus and Bukayo Saka.
Furthermore, the winger has shown that he is prepared to work his socks off for the team, both in the Brazilian national team and while playing for Leeds.
There may be more prominent names available in this transfer window. But Raphinha looks like he could become a key player at The Emirates for years to come if we sign him this summer.
Conclusion
In short, Jesus and Raphinha will add some real attacking impetus into this Arsenal side.
Not only will Arteta's team have more of a goal threat, but it'll also be faster and more skilful if we sign the two Brazil stars.
They aren't sure-fire successes, and Gunners fans may have to be patient while Arteta works out his best team.
But once they are integrated into the squad, there is no telling how good they could make this Arsenal side.
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