Former Arsenal star Bacary Sagna is ‘very excited’ about Gabriel Jesus’ arrival and has branded the striker a ‘brilliant signing’ for the Gunners.
The north club completed a £45million deal to sign Jesus from to fill the void left by the departures of and .
The Brazil international arrives at the Emirates Stadium after helping fire City to four league titles over the past five seasons and boasting a tally of 58 Premier League goals.
Sagna, who played as a right-back for Arsenal and City, is backing Jesus to have a big impact at his new club.
‘I’m very excited. Arsenal Football Club means a lot to me, so when I see players like him join the club it makes me happy. I know him very well – I played with him at City – he has a fantastic mentality and is a fantastic person,’ Sagna told .
‘His arrival will benefit the club massively, while he will also know that he is going to Arsenal to be the main man. He will know that he has the full support of the club and the manager, which will be different for him, because at City, you never know if you will play in the next game. I think this will help him improve as a player and I think he will relish the challenge of leading the team’s attack and being the main man at Arsenal.
‘His pedigree is fantastic. He is a regular starter in the Brazil national team, he played for one of the biggest clubs in the world. All of the Arsenal players will improve by playing with him and he can help them win because he knows what it takes to lift trophies.
‘He is a brilliant signing because he has a winning mentality and is a champion. I can’t wait to see him in an Arsenal shirt this season.’
‘He reminds me of André-Pierre Gignac because of his hunger to press, his fast thinking and his competitive edge,’ Sagna added.
‘Gignac was a guy that loved scoring! I honestly can’t believe that he never played for one of the world’s biggest clubs because he had everything as a player.
‘Gabriel Jesus has the same qualities. Whenever he plays he wants to show how good he is. I appreciated his effort in relentlessly pressing the opponent – it gave me a break! As a player, when a teammate demonstrates this level of commitment, it lifts everybody.’
The Gunners are still in the market for more signings, with the club reportedly confident they can seal a £30m deal for Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans.
Ajax’s versatile defender Lisandro Martinez is another priority target, but the player is also being chased by Manchester United.
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