"I didn't even eat, and I went crying" - Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus on moment he decided to leave Manchester City
Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus has said that Pep Guardiola's decision to play Oleksandr Zinchenko as a false nine ahead of him was the reason for his exit from Manchester City.
Jesus moved from Arsenal to Manchester City last summer, as he wanted to play regularly. He played 33 games for the Gunners across competitions last season and scored 11 times despite missing a chunk of games after getting injured during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
On the Denilson Show, Jesus said that he was left in tears after Guardiola benched him for Zinchenko. He recalled calling his mother and telling her that he wanted to leave:
"There was a game he (Pep Guardiola) put Zinchenko false-nine. UCL, PSG at home. Crazy. The day before, he didn't even put him (Zinchenko) there in training; he put me at striker.
"Then the other day, Zinchenko even joked with me, 'That day I felt bad for you'. Two hours before the game, there's a team-talk; the team eats, rests and goes. He gave the team. I didn't even eat. I went crying. I called my mother, 'I want to leave'. I'm going home, because he put him on and not me. He put a left-back there. I went crazy."
Jesus added:
"I didn't warm up. I wouldn't, with a cool head, I wouldn't. I stayed. I was bad. The game turned 0-0. With five minutes, Mbappe scored, 1-0.
"He (Pep Guardiola) called me. I gave an assist and scored. We turned it 2-1. … In the other game, I thought I was going to play. I didn't. There was a lot of that with him; it's not easy. But the player evolves. It is really hard. That's where I decided. I didn't want to stay anymore, and I decided to leave."
The Brazilian moved to the Emirates for a reported £45 million fee and signed a long-term contract.
Arsenal looking to add more firepower to attack
Arsenal are happy with Gabriel Jesus but have been linked with a move for another forward this summer. They have plans to add more firepower, as the Brazilian and Eddie Nketiah are not enough for Mikel Arteta.
Dusan Vlahovic has been the one linked often with a switch to the Emirates. Sky Italia have said that they have held talks to understand the fee Juventus want for their star man.
Apart from the Serb, Montpellier star Elye Wahi has also been linked with Arsenal. The Ligue 1 side's manager Der Zakarian has told France Bleu that they would demand €30 million for the 20-year-old star.