Gabriel Jesus has hinted that his future may lie away from Arsenal following the Gunners' Premier League title triumph. The Brazil international scored in a much-changed Arsenal side that beat Crystal Palace on the final day of the season at Selhurst Park, where they finally secured the trophy.
It was his first Premier League start since February, with just one year left on his contract in north London. Speaking after the game, Jesus was reluctant to directly address his future but felt his performance against Palace proved he can still play at the highest level and wants opportunities to continue doing so.
Jesus on His Future
“There’s a lot of talk [about the future] and I’m being very honest,” Jesus told ESPN Brasil. “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.
“The future belongs to God. 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.”
Injury and Playing Time
Jesus missed the first four months of the season due to an ACL injury suffered in January 2025. He returned in December, during a period when Viktor Gyokeres struggled for goals and Kai Havertz was working back from injury. After bright performances, there were calls for Jesus to become Mikel Arteta’s first-choice striker again, with Jamie Carragher insisting he should start ahead of Gyokeres. However, as the season progressed, Jesus’ starting opportunities were largely limited to the FA Cup, where he started every round until Arsenal’s elimination against Southampton.
Before Sunday’s game at Palace, Jesus had come off the bench in just three of the previous 12 league games, accumulating a combined 65 minutes of playing time.
Pundit Predictions
Arsenal legend Ray Parlour told Metro earlier this year that he expects Jesus to move on, believing his former club will target another centre-forward this summer. “I think Jesus might leave at the end of the season, he is at that age where he wants to be playing week in, week out,” Parlour said. “We could lose him. We had four strikers when I played. That’s what I don’t understand. (Regardless of Jesus leaving), bring in another one anyway. That can give the other options a lift because they see the standard being set.”
