The £46m Arsenal flop that Newcastle United must avoid signing at all costs this summer
Newcastle United have been linked with an out-of-favour Arsenal star
Newcastle United are in desperate need of signings after an underwhelming transfer window which has so far seen them miss out on various targets. The Magpies strengthened their right sided attacking options with the £55m signing of Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga but have failed to land a striker after losing out in battles to sign Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro to Premier League rivals. They’ve also seen what looked to be a nailed on deal for James Trafford slip through their fingers, with Manchester City agreeing to re-sign the Burnley shot-stopper.
These setbacks, compounded with the unsettling news that star player Alexander Isak is considering options, has nullified a great deal of the optimism surrounding the St. James’ Park club after not only winning their first domestic trophy in 70 years but also securing Champions League status for the second time in three seasons.
The Magpies struggled with squad depth throughout their last campaign on the continent and were expected to target a forward even before the Isak bombshell. Yet as it stands, despite a real scramble to get players over the line, the Newcastle recruitment team has let Eddie Howe down and arguably left him with fewer options than he had before with William Osula and academy youngster Sean Neave being the only strikers to travel to the side’s pre-season tour in Singapore.
Newcastle United linked with 76-goal Premier League striker
Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has been linked with a move to Newcastle United. Caught Offside claims the Magpies along with Tottenham are interested in signing the 64-time Brazil international. Jesus joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022 after five excellent years at the Etihad which saw him win four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups while mostly playing as an understudy to Sergio Aguero. The 28-year-old scored 95 times in 256 matches for the Sky Blues across all competitions and was often a game-changer from the bench due to his immense technical qualities and speed to stretch defences.
That version of Jesus thrived in his first few months at Arsenal and proved to be a catalyst in helping the club rise from a team competing for Europe to one pushing for a league title. He scored 11 times in 26 league games in his first season and did impress both before and after his mid-season knee injury. However, since then he’s been nowhere near as effective, scoring a combined seven goals across two seasons while often struggling to overcome various knee and hamstring problems. He had just started to show signs of regaining his confidence before sustaining an ACL injury in January.
Caught Offside claim that Jesus is no longer a part of the project at Arsenal after falling down to third choice behind new signing Victor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, with Newcastle potentially offering the player a lifeline.
Why Newcastle United should look to pursue alternative targets to Gabriel Jesus
At the peak of his powers, Gabriel Jesus was a top-class Premier League striker. He proved this at Manchester City and showed glimpses of it in his first season at Arsenal. However, with the striker currently nursing an ACL injury, it would make zero sense for Newcastle to sign him in this transfer window, with him likely not being fit until the start of 2026.
Regardless of what happens in the Isak transfer saga, Newcastle need players in the striker department for the here and now that can instantly challenge for a first team spot from the minute the ball is kicked against Aston Villa. Yoane Wissa may not have the CV that Jesus boasts over the course of his career, but is a player that would likely be on cheaper wages that presents the club with an immediate ability to hit the ground running. He is the same age as Jesus, 28, and scored 19 goals in the league alone last year, which is one more than the Arsenal man has managed across three seasons in North London.
If a manager can get Jesus fit and firing, he’s undoubtedly a top talent with plenty of experience and a combined total of 76 Premier League goals, but it’s a gamble that Newcastle should not look to take at this moment in time.