FC Barcelona have finalized the signing of Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus for a fee of €10 million. The surprise move comes at the last minute after the club appeared to have abandoned any offensive reinforcements following the failed negotiations for Julián Álvarez, which collapsed due to Atlético Madrid’s refusal. However, the Brazilian is no stranger to Barça. Neymar and the Catalan club had already scouted the player during his early days at Palmeiras. In 2016, Robert Fernández, then Barça’s sporting director, traveled to Brazil to watch him play. The young striker was already drawing attention, but European competition was fierce, and his future remained uncertain.
Neymar, a key figure in a failed attempt
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Gabriel Jesus and Neymar played together for Brazil. It was during this tournament that the former Barça player tried to convince Jesus to join the Catalan club. “Neymar told me about the city, the climate, which is similar to Brazil’s, and that made me hesitate,” Jesus revealed in an interview with *The Sun*. The Brazilian spoke of Barcelona’s appeal, its atmosphere, and its scale, but ultimately chose another European giant. “I saw that Manchester City was really interested after talking to Pep on the phone,” he explained, sealing his move to England rather than Spain. At the time, Gabriel Jesus opted for Manchester City, where he later thrived. A decade later, the circle has closed: Barça has finally reclaimed the player after years of speculation and transfers between the two clubs. A story that reminds us how footballing destinies can hinge on a few words exchanged in conversation.
A transfer that reignites debates over past choices
FC Barcelona has officially announced the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, though his registration remains temporarily suspended pending administrative formalities. The club, which had previously attempted to sign him in 2016 without success, has once again demonstrated its ability to recover and attract world-class talent, even after years of waiting. The question lingers: what if the Brazilian had chosen Barcelona back then? Catalan supporters can now envision a different scenario, where Gabriel Jesus would have worn the blaugrana jersey much earlier than his current transfer. Gabriel Jesus’s journey also highlights the challenges European clubs face in attracting young Brazilian talents, who are often courted by multiple top clubs from the early stages of their professional careers. As Barcelona looks to this signing to bolster its attack, the club’s history with Gabriel Jesus takes on a new dimension. A decade after the failed discussions, the Brazilian will finally don the Barça colors, in the eyes of those who believed in him from the very beginning. A sweet victory for the Catalan club, which had missed out on signing him in 2016 but patiently waited to make him one of its new faces today.
Fréderic Manet · 31 août 2026 · 3 min de lecture
