Arsenal in direct battle with former director Edu Gaspar for ‘exceptional’ €30m striker – report

Nottingham Forest have joined Arsenal in the pursuit of Botafogo striker Igor Jesus, according to Diario AS journalist Eduardo Burgos.

The City Ground club owner Evangelos Marinakis has spoken directly with his Botafogo counterpart John Textor over what it would take to land the €30 million-rated forward, and former Gunners sporting director Edu Gaspar will be facing his old club directly in the pursuit of his compatriot.

The one-time Arsenal midfielder is set to start overseeing the network of clubs owned by Marinakis, including Forest, and he is now working to sign Jesus.

The ‘exceptional’ Brazilian has attracted plenty of bigwigs in Europe following an impressive spell in his country, which has resulted in four caps for Brazil.

Arsenal are looking to bolster their attacking ranks for the second half of 2024-25, and Jesus has been on their radar for a while.

He bagged 17 goals in 26 games for UAE Pro League club Shabab Al Ahli in 2023-24 before joining Botafogo in July 2024, where he has since notched eight goals in 31 appearances.

Jesus played a key role as his club won the Brazilian Serie A title and Copa Libertadores (South American equivalent of the Champions League) in 2024, and landing such a striker could provide a much-needed boost for Arsenal in the title race this season and going forward.

He will be desperate to prove himself in the Premier League and could be open to joining the Gunners if they table a tangible offer before the end of the January transfer window.

The Gunners have to strengthen their attack before the transfer deadline closes on February 3 if they are serious about winning their first title since 2004 this term, and they have very little time left to get that done.