Brazilian starlet Gabriel Jesus has formally completed his
move to Manchester City from Palmeiras, the Premier League club announced on
Thursday.
City agreed to sign Jesus on a five-year contract in August,
but the 19-year-old was immediately loaned back to Palmeiras until the end of
the Brazilian season in December.
With City having now completed his registration, he could
make his debut for Pep Guardiola’s side in Saturday’s home game with high-flying
Tottenham Hotspur.“I want to win titles and Manchester City is a club that is
used to winning,” Jesus said in comments published on the City website.“City is
a club that always competes for the title in the competitions it enters, so
that was an important factor, and because of the manager, Guardiola, and the
squad.”
Jesus, who can play right across the front line, is one of
the most highly rated youngsters in world football and is reported to have cost
City an initial fee of £27 million ($33.3 million, 31.2 million euros).
He helped Palmeiras to their first league title in 22 years
last year and has scored scored five goals in his first six games for Brazil.“Gabriel
is a technically gifted player who was chased by some of Europe’s biggest clubs
and we are delighted he decided to join City,” said City’s director of football
Txiki Begiristain.“He has the potential to become one of the best attacking
players in the game and we look forward to watching him develop further here in
Manchester.“I think with Pep Guardiola as manager and the squad we already have
here, Jesus has the perfect platform to reach his full potential.”
Jesus’s arrival is a timely lift for Guardiola, who finds
himself under intense scrutiny after last weekend’s chastening 4-0 defeat at
Everton.
It was City’s fifth league defeat of the season and left
them in fifth place in the table, two points off the Champions League places
and 10 points below leaders Chelsea.
AFP
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