Barcelona had a backup plan ready before their pursuit of Julian Alvarez reached its final stage, and that preparation eventually led them to Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian joined Barcelona from Arsenal For an initial fee of €10 million in a deal that seemed to come almost out of nowhere.
But in fact, communications about a possible move began at least a week ago, according to sources from Sports world.
Barcelona remained committed to the idea of signing Alvarez until the end of the window.
The Atletico Madrid striker was keen on a move, while Joan Laporta, Deco and Hansi Flick were all in agreement about wanting to bring him to Catalonia.
But there was also an acceptance within the club that reaching an agreement with Atletico this summer would be very difficult due to the situation of Miguel Ángel Gil Marin.
This is where Jesus entered the picture.
Barcelona needs someone as a top priority
Rather than allowing the uncertainty surrounding Alvarez to leave Flick without a recognized number 9, Barcelona began exploring alternatives.
After exploring several market opportunities, Jesus was contacted to understand if he would consider such a move, and the answer was an immediate yes.
The Brazilian has long wanted to play for Barcelona. In fact, he had The opportunity to join the club in 2016But Manchester City went ahead with the deal and took him to England instead.
His situation at Arsenal also made a move possible, with Mikel Arteta not considering Jesus as his first-choice striker, with him ahead of Kai Havertz and Victor Gjukeris in the pecking order.
So Barcelona found an available, interested player capable of filling the exact role Flick wanted.
Knee examinations were conclusive
Barcelona’s next worry was Jesus’ physical conditionEspecially the condition of his knees.
These tests were taken very seriously due to the Brazilian’s previous injury history.
In this regard, Barcelona contacted the English doctors who treated his knees, and the feedback gave the club the confidence to move forward.
The medical evaluation removed one of the biggest potential hurdles to the deal and allowed Barcelona to finally move on once the decision had been made.
