Louis Saha has warned that Gabriel Jesus is not the world-class finisher they are looking for.
The Brazilian, 25, has only a year remaining on his contract at Manchester City and has been linked with a move to the Gunners this summer as the club looks to replace who left to join in January.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has bemoaned his side’s lack of goals this season and reportedly believes Jesus can add a ruthlessness to his team’s attack.
However, Saha, the former forward, thinks Jesus is a striker that links the play rather than scores goals and has told the north Londoners they should not expect the City man to be the finished product.
Speaking to , he said: ‘Sometimes he’s been criticised because he doesn’t have the ‘killer instinct’, something that Ruud van Nistelrooy had, or (Robert) Lewandowksi and all those players.
‘He’s been working hard for other players, but this is the style of . He’s maybe not as deadly as some of the world’s best, but he can improve.
‘If he works hard in front of goal. (Currently), the emphasis is on him to link play, be very diverse, going left or right, because that’s what City needs. They need a lot of movement and he’s not really been able to play as a number nine.
‘The only one who managed to do that was Kun (Aguero), and he was an immense finisher. When you have that quality, Guardiola will say, ‘OK, put Kun on the field, he will do this (finish chances)’.
‘That’s not the best quality of Gabriel, but he may be able to adapt to a different style with , they definitely need a striker if Lacazette is leaving.’
According to reports, Arsenal are leading the race to sign Jesus with the striker keen to link up with Arteta again after the two worked together at City when the Spaniard was Pep Guardiola’s No.2.
Since arriving at the Etihad in 2017, Jesus has struggled to nail down a starting place after failing to usurp Sergio Aguero as City’s leading striker and, more recently, following Guardiola’s decision to play without a recognised No.9.
Rumours that Erling Haaland is on his way to City in the summer will not ease Jesus’ concerns about playing time and a fresh start at the Emirates may appeal to him especially if the Gunners can qualify for the Champions League.
Earlier this season, Arteta laid out what he will be looking for in Arsenal’s new centre-forward.
He said: ‘He puts the ball in the net, that’s priority number one Goal threat. Any successful team needs enough goal threat in the squad. Without it, you have nothing. You can play good football but you need enough goal threat in the team.’
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