Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus could have joined Chelsea this summer, according to a revelation by the player’s agent.
The Gunners completed the signing of the Brazil international from Manchester City earlier this month.
They paid around £45m to acquire the 25-year-old, who departed the Etihad Stadium after five and a half years at the club.
Arsenal were the only side to have an offer for Jesus accepted by City, but it has now been revealed that they were not the only interested party.
“Chelsea were one of the teams that tried to hijack the Arsenal move,” explained Jesus’s agent, Marcelo Pettinati.
“They tried very hard in the final days to get him. By that point, we’d already chosen our new project.”
Arsenal have bought Jesus with the intention of using him as a No.9, after the Brazilian spent much of last season playing in a wide role.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang departed the Emirates Stadium in January and Alexandre Lacazette followed him through the exit door when his contract expired at the end of June.
That left Arsenal short of options up front even after Eddie Nketiah decided to put pen to paper on a new deal.
It is probable that Jesus would have at least considered a move to Chelsea had they entered the race earlier.
The Blues have loaned Romelu Lukaku back to Inter after his return to Stamford Bridge last season proved disastrous.
Chelsea look set to continue with Kai Havertz as a false nine in the upcoming campaign, but it seems like Jesus caught Thomas Tuchel’s eye.
The German has since stated that a striker is not at the top of his wish list despite Lukaku’s exit.
“I would not rule it out but right now it is not the priority,” he said.
“The priority right now is defence, it's not a secret. From there we need to see what's possible.”
