Everton have opened talks to sign Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, with manager David Moyes keen to strengthen his attacking options this summer.
Journalist Gianluigi Longari reports that the Toffees have made initial contact with Arsenal regarding the Brazilian forward’s availability.
Arsenal are willing to sell Jesus for a fee of £20m, which appears achievable for Everton given the player’s current situation at the Emirates Stadium.
However, Jesus earns a substantial £265,000-a-week salary, which could prove a significant stumbling block given Everton’s wage structure.
His injury record is another major concern, with the 29-year-old restricted to just three Premier League starts last season.
Despite the recent struggles, Mikel Arteta spoke positively about the forward in December, saying: “I think he brings something else, and I was really happy to see that and for him as well, for his confidence to grow, for his teammates to feel him as well because some of them haven’t played with him.”
Arteta added: “So, Gabby has a really special quality where he suddenly connects everybody around him and that’s something that we as a team need and it will make us better.”
Across his time with Manchester City and Arsenal, the 64-cap Brazil international has accumulated 79 goals and 45 assists in 243 Premier League appearances, underlining his quality when fit.
His debut campaign at Arsenal showed genuine promise, with Jesus registering 11 goals and seven assists across 26 appearances before injuries began to derail his momentum.
Everton’s interest in Jesus comes amid broader attacking concerns, with Thierno Barry managing just eight Premier League goals in his debut campaign at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Beto has also failed to consistently deliver, netting 25 goals across 111 appearances for the club, reinforcing the need for a more reliable option up front.
Signing Jesus could complicate Everton’s reported pursuit of Chelsea striker Liam Delap, who the Toffees are currently favourites to sign and who earns a more manageable £100,000-a-week.
Delap scored 12 Premier League goals for Ipswich Town during the 2024-25 season, and despite netting just once for Chelsea, he represents a lower-risk, lower-cost alternative.
Moyes operates a 4-2-3-1 formation, and adding Jesus to a squad already containing Barry and Beto could create an overcrowded frontline that complicates team selection.
Everton are also expected to confirm the arrival of Hayden Hackney this week, as Moyes continues reshaping his squad ahead of the new campaign.