Barcelona have struck a deal to bring Gabriel Jesus to Spain in one of the more surprising moves of the summer transfer window, with the Brazilian forward agreeing to join the La Liga champions on a two-year contract.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Barcelona will pay approximately €10 million plus add-ons for Jesus — a fraction of the £45 million Arsenal spent to sign him from Manchester City in 2022. The striker is now set to travel to Spain to complete a medical before the deal is finalised.

A difficult chapter at the Emirates Stadium

Jesus arrived at Arsenal with considerable expectations. He had scored in double figures for five straight seasons at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, contributing to four Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola. Yet his time in north London never reached those heights.

During four years at the Emirates Stadium, Jesus missed 45 Premier League matches across the last two seasons alone, and found himself frozen out of Mikel Arteta's plans before the transfer window even opened. He was absent from Arsenal's first two matches of the season and trained separately from the first team — a clear signal that his exit was imminent.

Arteta had hinted earlier this week that Jesus was likely to leave, and Barcelona moved swiftly to secure his signature. Jesus, whose influence at Arsenal had diminished significantly, was open to a fresh start and quickly agreed to the move.

Barcelona's striker search ends here

Barcelona had been linked with several centre-forwards following Robert Lewandowski's departure, including Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez — a player who, ironically, is also a top target for Arsenal. However, the club appear to have ended that pursuit and settled on Jesus as their solution up front.

The Catalan side have opened their La Liga title defence with back-to-back victories and will hope Jesus can contribute once he clears his medical.

Martinelli also heading for the exit

Jesus is not the only Arsenal forward facing a late departure this summer. Gabriel Martinelli is closing in on a move to Al Hilal, with the Saudi club tabling an offer of around £56 million for the Brazilian winger. Martinelli has been offered a four-year contract that could see him earn in excess of £20 million per year.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are pressing ahead with their own transfer business. The club spent £64 million to sign Viktor Gyokeres last summer and are still exploring the striker market this window. They kicked off their Premier League title defence with a 3-0 win over Coventry City and return to action on Monday against Aston Villa.