Arsenal could have a key shirt number up for grabs this summer if the Premier League champions get their wish
Gabriel Jesus’ potential departure from Arsenal this summer could free up the No.9 shirt, but the Brazilian’s exit depends on if the Gunners’ price tag is matched.
The 29-year-old – who has worn the iconic number since his arrival in 2022 – has just one year left on his contract, with his future at the Emirates Stadium uncertain. According to The Athletic, the Premier League champions have valued Jesus between £18million and £20million, and he has been subject to interest from several clubs this summer.
The striker’s ACL injury last year has impacted his availability as he’s appeared in just 31 league games across the past two seasons. His form in front of goal has drastically dried up with 10 league goals scored in his last three seasons – one less than he managed in the entirety of his debut campaign at Arsenal.
While he scored in the final game of the season against Crystal Palace, Jesus ended the year with six goals in 27 games across all competitions with Mikel Arteta preferring Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz up top.
Jesus’ possible departure could result in one of his team-mates claiming the No.9, with Gyokeres the obvious choice. However, the Swede currently wears the No.14 shirt, a number steeped in history largely due to its past owner, Thierry Henry.
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Kai Havertz is another option but the Germany international has a special connection to the No.29 he wears for the Gunners and has done for the entirety of his professional club career. Having worn the number for Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen, the forward admitted he chose it because his brother would always use No. 29 when they played FIFA.
The No.9 could even be handed to a new signing with the Gunners interested in several attackers to boost their forward line next season. football.london understands that Julian Alvarez, Bradley Barcola, Christos Tzolis and Morgan Rogers are all of interest to Arteta.
Jesus spoke out on his future after the 2025/26 season came to an end and revealed his desire to see out his contract at Arsenal. He told ESPN: “I still have a year left on my contract with Arsenal. I want to play, I want to prove to myself that I can play at a high level.
“Today [against Palace], I could have scored two or three more goals. This shows me that I’m still a player who can perform at a high level even with such a serious injury. I have my head in the right place, I think every day about how to keep my head in the right place, train hard and stay focused.”
Discussing the difficulty of hearing the uncertainty of his future, Jesus added: “There’s a lot of talk [about the future] and I’m being very honest. It’s not easy for a player who is always looking to improve and help on the field with what’s happening.
“But like I said, I’m very respectful, I have a lot of respect for the coach, and especially my teammates.I made my contribution when I came back. Many thought I would return calmly, that it would take longer.
“But, from the first Champions League game, I came back with everything, without any doubt, and played most of the games. It’s not easy mentally, but I was resilient and respected the coach.”
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