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Pep Guardiola gives honest explanation why Gabriel Jesus was sold to Arsenal

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Manchester City sold Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal over the summer but had already signed Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, so Pep Guardiola wasn’t leaving himself short in attack.

Letting the 25-year-old go was still a surprise, however, as he’d scored 13 goals with 12 assists from 41 games in his final season at the Etihad, but Guardiola revealed he had no choice after being made aware of Jesus’ intention to join Mikel Arteta in North London.

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He told The Athletic: “What (he) gave us, (he) deserves to choose where (he) wants to play. If (he doesn’t) want to go to Arsenal (he) would stay here. Why do we have to say you cannot be there? Thanks to (him) we are where we are right now.

“All the people they care about, their family. They believe it’s not enough, (so) who are we to say to their family you cannot go there? I don’t like it. If Arsenal are stronger it’s okay. They arrive in agreement with the club, transfer with the club, everyone is happy.”

Pep Guardiola has long been adamant that no player would be kept at City against their will, except for a couple of exceptions, so he had little choice but to respect the Brazilian’s wish. City spent £27m on Jesus in 2016 and sold him for £45m, so they more than made back their money.

Jesus never claimed to be angry about Guardiola’s squad rotation policy, but the chance to get regular first-team football as a striker under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal convinced him to make the switch.

The 25-year-old spent three years at the Etihad Stadium, making 236 appearances in all competitions, scoring 95 goals with 46 assists, so he was a fantastic servant.

But after Sergio Aguero left in 2021, Jesus wasn’t considered as his replacement in attack. Instead, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden were used as makeshift strikers while Jesus was shifted out wide.

City’s loss is Arsenal’s gain, however, as he’s scored five goals with seven assists from 16 games across the board this season.

In other news, Man City tipped to sign PSG star who ‘will excite Guardiola’

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He joined from Newcastle in 2000 and left to join FC Sochaux in 2003

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Sports journalist who is an avid football fan, enjoys debunking transfer rumours, loves to write pieces about players out in the cold and takes a large amount of pride getting a predicted XI 100% correct.