Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday the club has no intention of allowing striker Gabriel Jesus to leave the club this summer.
Reports earlier this week suggested that Arsenal would be willing to listen to offers for the 27-year-old, who will have three years remaining on his contract at the end of the season.
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Jesus has scored eight goals in 33 appearances this season playing primarily as a striker but also out wide.
The Brazil international has struggled with knee problems since undergoing surgery for an injury sustained at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He underwent a second minor operation in January and admitted last month he couldn’t “remember the last day I played football without pain.”
Kai Havertz has assumed a key role in leading Arsenal’s attack at the expense of Jesus of late but when asked on Friday about speculation that the Brazil international could leave the club, Arteta said: “I don’t know where this is coming from.”
Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal are prepared to sell several fringe players to help boost their summer transfer budget.
Pushed on whether he had any intention of letting Jesus, who joined Arsenal from Manchester City for £45 million ($56.5m) in 2022, move on at the end of the campaign, Arteta replied: “No, no.”
Arteta stated his hope that Jorginho would soon agree to a new deal as talks continue over an extension.
The 32-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the season and the Italy international is thought to be keen on staying at the club he joined from Chelsea for £12 million in January last year.
“I would love to keep him,” Arteta said. “He knows that. The club is fully supportive of that. He’s a really important player with us, on and off the field. He makes us better so we want him to stay.”
Arteta has a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of Saturday’s visit of Bournemouth and the Arsenal boss is weighing whether to include Jurriën Timber after two appearances for Arsenal under-21s having been sidelined since August following knee surgery.
“We won’t know [if Timber is ready] until we throw him in there,” Arteta added.
“It’s tricky because there are only three games to go and he has missed eight months of football, he’s played only 150 minutes of football with the U21s, it’s a question that can only be resolved by throwing him on the pitch and we will see what happens, we have to try to nail that decision when [we take it].”
