Hansi Flick 'surprised' as Barcelona snap up Gabriel Jesus in bargain €10m transfer from Arsenal
Jesus signs for Barca
Barcelona have reached an agreement with Arsenal to sign Jesus for an initial €10 million fee. The 29-year-old Brazilian forward travelled to Catalonia on Monday to finalise a two-year contract.
Jesus was present at Camp Nou to watch his new team-mates dismantle Rayo Vallecano 5-2. The dominant victory ensured Blaugrana maintained their perfect start to the Liga season with three consecutive wins. He will be officially unveiled on Tuesday as the club's sixth major signing of the summer transfer window.
Flick reacts to bargain transfer
The relatively low transfer fee caught Barca head coach Flick off guard. The German manager admitted he did not expect the Premier League side to let their striker leave so late in the window.
"I was a little surprised we had the opportunity to get him," Flick said, as quoted by ESPN. "I really love him, I like his style to play football, it fits with our style. I think he can help us a lot in the games."
Deco praised for busy summer
Jesus joins a heavily reinforced Barcelona squad following a busy summer of recruitment. Sporting director Deco has already brought Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri, Joao Cancelo, and Dominik Livakovic to Camp Nou. Flick was quick to highlight Deco's pivotal role in securing Jesus.
"For us, he can be an important player, so thanks to Deco because again he made an excellent job," he stated.
The Catalan giants had previously attempted to sign Julian Alvarez to bolster their attack. However, domestic rivals Atletico Madrid strictly refused to negotiate a deal with Blaugrana.
Deadline day deals appear unlikely
While Barca remain theoretically open to signing a new centre-back, the transfer window closes on Tuesday evening. Time is rapidly running out for the club to conduct any further major business. When asked if fans should expect any more arrivals in the next 24 hours, Flick played down the possibility. "I don't think so, but we will see," the manager concluded.
With Jesus fully integrated into the squad this week, Barcelona will turn their attention back to domestic duties. Flick's squad will next face Valencia at Mestalla in a Liga match.
