Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus is reportedly a loan target for Brazilian side Palmeiras ahead of this summer’s transfer window.
The former Manchester City man started his career at Palmeiras, establishing himself as a real wonderkid before earning his big move to Europe with City in 2017.
Jesus has had a fine career in England, particularly at City where he won multiple titles, but he’s had some injury troubles in recent times that seem to have cast his long-term future at the Emirates Stadium into doubt.
According to CNN Brasil, Jesus is now being eyed for a loan move back to Palmeiras in what would be a bit of a surprise move, as the 27-year-old is surely still good enough to be playing at the highest level in Europe.
Jesus transfer: Will any big European clubs gamble on the injury-prone Arsenal man?
If the Palmeiras links are accurate, it could be a significant moment for Jesus, as it perhaps shows that his career at the very top level is now nearing an end, and if so, injuries will be a big part of that.
While there’s no doubting Jesus’ quality on his day, it’s been a difficult last year or so for him at Arsenal, as he’s rarely looked like even half the player he’s capable of being, while he’s spoken publicly about often playing through pain.
Having also missed a lot of games, it’s hard to imagine a lot of top European clubs being ready to gamble on the Brazil international at this stage, so perhaps he’d do well to return to his home club to try to revive his career.
Palmeiras continue to develop some truly outstanding young players, such as Endrick and Estevao Willian, so one imagines having an experienced figure like Jesus around to guide whoever comes through next could be really useful for them.