Gabriel Jesus embraces Barcelona fresh start after injury-plagued Arsenal exit

Gabriel Jesus has described his move to Barcelona as a dream realised, telling Spanish outlet Sport that he used to skip school to watch the club play in the Champions League — and now finds himself wearing the shirt.

The Brazilian forward, 29, joined the Catalan giants in the summer for £8.6m after an injury-disrupted three-year spell at Arsenal, where he scored 32 goals in 123 appearances. Despite the stop-start nature of his time in north London, he departed with a Premier League winners’ medal to his name.

Jesus has made an encouraging start at his new club, scoring twice in four appearances across all competitions. He credited a structured adaptation period for helping him settle quickly. “They gave us a plan for the days off and I trained a lot,” he said. “I have felt very good. It was a month to adapt. I already knew some players I had played with, so it was good to get to know everyone. We have incredible players and a great coach. We are going in the right direction.”

On the significance of the move itself, Jesus was candid about what it means to him personally. “I feel very good to be at a club like this,” he said. “All the fans remind me that I used to miss some classes to watch Barça in the Champions League. To end up wearing the Barça shirt is something I thank God for.”

Among his new teammates, Jesus singled out former Manchester City colleague João Cancelo as his closest companion at the club. “The funniest player in the team is Cancelo because of the way he talks, the way he is,” Jesus said. “I have a very good relationship with him. We talk a lot, so I will go with Cancelo.” The two shared three seasons together at the Etihad, winning three Premier League titles and reaching the Champions League final.

Barcelona currently lead La Liga by five points from Atlético Madrid after winning all seven of their opening fixtures under Hansi Flick, with Jesus set to feature when they face Getafe this weekend.