It could be a great move for Arsenal to sign Gabriel Jesus, and his Manchester City team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko could also be a good fit for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arteta knows both players well from his time as part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Man City, and there would surely be a role for them at the Emirates Stadium as well.
That’s the view of Arsenal legend Michael Thomas, who scored one of the most famous goals in the club’s history to clinch the title in dramatic style in 1989.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside, Thomas endorsed potential moves for both Jesus and Zinchenko, though he admitted the latter could be less of an urgent priority.
That’s partly because of the emergence of youngster Nuno Tavares, whom Thomas is tipping to become a fine player if he has coaches helping him iron out the flaws in his game on the training ground.
“Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal would be a great move for him and the club,” Thomas said. “He fits into what Arteta wants form his forwards, and already has a relationship with the manager.
“He brings a real energy to the front line with a strong press and loves to link up and score goals. He will be looking to become a key number 9 for whatever club he moves to so lets hope it’s Arsenal.
“The Zinchenko links make sense as well. He is another very versatile player who is already known to the manager, but I’m not sure he’ll be a major priority. I like Zinchenko, but the deal has to be right because Arsenal still have Nuno Tavares.
“Tavares had his ups and downs in his first season, but I think can do well with more game time and another season of experience under his belt. Get him working on the training ground, get him more disciplined and focused, and you have potentially a very good player there.”
Zinchenko provides assists from left back, which Arsenal are in dire need of, but he also wants to play in the midfield, which is position for his national team.
Tavares played 22 games and started 13. He scored once and provided one assist in 1,100 minutes. Tierney played 1,900 minutes, scored once, and provided 3 assists from 22 games, all as a starter.
Tierney’s 16 missed games due to injury this season, 10 the previous season, and 19 his first at Arsenal. He misses 13 games due to injury the last year he played in Scotland. Those numbers scream for a highly qualified back up if not an out and out replacement.
For a less-injured player, Tavares would be fine for the odd rotation against weaker teams and cup matches, etc. Prolonged injury cover or as an immediate replacement, he is nor ready. Zinchenko is.
The questions is, how to Arsenal see Tierney and the team’s need? Are they looking for injury cover, eventual replacement, or something else?
Zinchenko as a midfield option and injury cover for Tierney, with Tavares going on loan, perhaps a two-year loan to Atalanta, might make sense. By then Tierney will either be over his injury bug and cemented in or proven unreliable and Zinchenko slots in or Tavares proves he can be a top player and returns to make left back his own and Zinchenko continues as a midfielder who covers at left back.