Gabriel Jesus is closing in on a move to Barcelona in a deal worth £8.5m, with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta saying the forward has been training separately from the first-team squad. Arteta also said the club are managing his situation ahead of Monday, which lines up with reports that a medical is due before Tuesday’s deadline. Napoli had also shown interest before Barcelona moved ahead.

Arteta's message on surplus players

Arteta's comments are the real reason this deal has picked up pace. Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: "We try to be as clear and transparent as possible and deliver the message as it is." He also added: "It’s very simple: whatever they are reading, come and knock on my door if they have a question and I will tell them if it’s true or not."

That is the tone around Jesus now. Arteta's words point to a squad in which some players are being told directly where they stand, and Jesus fits that category more than he fits the first-team picture right now.

Jesus' role at Arsenal

The move also makes sense when you look at his recent usage. Jesus has featured in five recent matches, but he has only one Premier League appearance in 2026 and just 75 Premier League minutes in the current campaign. Those numbers sit neatly alongside the separate training detail and explain why Barcelona have been able to move quickly.

Arteta confirmed the workload issue as well, saying: "We've just managed the last few days with him. He's out on the pitch, he's been doing training sessions, but we need to manage his load to get to Monday in the best possible condition to be able to get selected."

Jesus has scored 32 goals in 123 games for Arsenal, but last season he made only 14 appearances in their title-winning Premier League campaign. The fee is also still being reported differently, with talkSPORT putting it at £8.5m and other reporting placing it in the region of €10m. The move itself is close, but the final paperwork still has to land before Tuesday.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →