Arsenal are set to seal a £50million deal for number one target Gabriel Jesus in the next seven to 10 days, Sportsmail has learned.
It is understood that the Gunners and Manchester City are closing in on an agreement that would see the 25-year-old striker head to north London.
There is now a confidence that completion is close for the Brazilian, who has been Arsenal’s priority target.
His arrival would follow on the heels of the £30million signing of midfielder Fabio Vieira as Mikel Arteta seeks to break back into the Champions League places.
City stand to make a tidy profit on a player they paid around £27million for in 2017. Jesus played an important role last season following the champions fruitless pursuit of Harry Kane but his chances will be limited following the arrival of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
Despite scoring some key goals, consistency has been an issue throughout his five years at the Etihad Stadium.
Jesus’s contract expires next summer when he could have left on a free transfer and City continue to monitor their finances closely with others set to follow the striker out of the door as Pep Guardiola tweaks his side.
A deal with add-ons worth around £42million for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips has also been agreed. The England international had interest from other Premier League sides and last week Leeds had a call from Paris Saint-Germain.
However, the only side Phillips would entertain moving to from his hometown club was City, according to insiders. Young City midfielder Darko Gyarbi is expected to head in the opposite direction in a separate £5million deal.
From the fringes at City, Jesus would become a key figure in the capital. While discussions are ongoing, a deal in the next seven to 10 days now looks inevitable.