Former Liverpool and Three Lions of England striker Stan Collymore has urged Gabriel Jesus to join Chelsea over Arsenal, insisting Mikel Arteta cannot be trusted to bring the best out of the Manchester City forward.
Jesus is to depart the Etihad this summer with Arteta identifying the Brazilian international as his top transfer target.
The 25-year-old is understood to be open to the move despite the lack of Champions League football on offer next season but he has also been offered to Chelsea and Real Madrid with Arsenal reportedly reluctant to meet City’s £50million asking price.
Jesus’ representatives are said to be exploring all options with Tottenham also a possibility this summer.
But Collymore insists the best option is for Jesus to consider joining Chelsea over Arsenal.
“There are rumours of Chelsea sniffing around as well and I don’t think Arsenal will be the only club in the race for him this summer,” Collymore told The Mirror.
“But let’s say Arsenal get him, my general worry and concern about Arsenal, as ever, is could we trust Mikel Arteta to get the best out of Jesus, could he be the manager who makes him fulfil his potential, if Pep Guardiola couldn’t? I don’t think so.
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“But if he goes to Chelsea he could be the player Romelu Lukaku was promised to be but wasn’t. At Chelsea, they create loads of chances, they will stick the ball in the box and Jesus can be the fox in the box I’ve so often said they need. If Jesus just concentrated on doing some really good work in the box, he could be that man.”
Collymore is confident Jesus would comfortably have better service at Chelsea – and fears Arsenal’s supporting cast of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe might not even be at the club long enough for the Brazilian to benefit from them.
“Arsenal, with the support cast they have, which is still two rookies in Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka — and we don’t know for sure that they will still be wearing Gunners shirts in two years’ time, with Saka being linked with Liverpool and City — if I was Jesus I would be thinking of myself in the blue shirt at Stamford Bridge.
“I’d be thinking that Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and, if he stays, Timo Werner would be putting it on a plate for me and I’d be getting my 25 goals as a regular starter next season.
“What he’s not going to do is fire Arsenal into the Champions League next season because it’s not just a case of them needing a finisher.”
