Gabriel Jesus Arrives In Barcelona To Complete Move, Al-Qadsiah Close On Sani Suleiman

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus has arrived in Barcelona ahead of his expected €10 million transfer to LaLiga champions Barcelona.

Gabriel Jesus, 29, arrived in the Spanish city earlier today, August 31, and is expected to undergo a medical before signing a two-year contract with the Catalan club.

Arsenal are set to receive an initial €10m for Jesus, who had one year left on his contract at the Emirates Stadium. A further €4m could be paid in performance-related add-ons.

Jesus could watch his new teammates in action on Monday when Barcelona host Rayo Vallecano at Spotify Camp Nou. The Spanish champions are looking to make it three wins from three at the start of the new LaLiga season.

Barcelona turned to Jesus after Atlético Madrid refused to negotiate over Julián Álvarez, their preferred target.

The departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres left Barcelona without a recognised senior striker. Hamza Abdelkarim, who is registered with the reserve team, played as a No.9 during pre-season, while Raphinha has operated through the middle since the start of the league campaign.

Barcelona had considered going without another striker after failing to sign Álvarez. Coach Hansi Flick had identified Fermín López, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi as players capable of playing centrally.

However, Flick preferred to have a recognised No.9 in his squad, even if the player would not be guaranteed a starting place. Jesus received the German coach’s approval when Barcelona presented the opportunity.

His arrival will not end Barcelona’s interest in Álvarez, although they will not be able to sign the Argentina international this summer.

Jesus joined Arsenal from Manchester City in 2022 after starting his professional career at Palmeiras. He scored 11 goals in 33 appearances during his first season with the Gunners but has struggled with injuries since then.

The Brazilian has fallen Mikel Arteta’s pecking order, with Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres currently preferred. He has also not featured in either of Arsenal’s two competitive matches this season.

Al-Qadsiah Close on Sani Suleiman

Meanwhile, Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah are closing in on the signing of Nigerian winger Sani Suleiman from RB Leipzig.

Transfer expert Rudi Galetti reports that Al-Qadsiah have reached an agreement with Leipzig over a deal worth between €9m and €10m, including bonuses.

Personal terms are still being negotiated with Suleiman, but there is growing confidence that an agreement will be reached soon.

Championship club West Ham United had also shown strong interest in the highly rated winger, but Al-Qadsiah moved quickly to advance negotiations with Leipzig.

Suleiman joined Leipzig from Slovakian club AS Trenčín in January after impressing during his time in Slovakia.

The 19-year-old scored five goals and provided five assists in 50 appearances for Trenčín across all competitions. However, injuries have hampered his progress at Leipzig, and he is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Bundesliga club.

At international level, Suleiman was part of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles squad at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.