Gabriel Jesus has said he wants to stay at Arsenal beyond his current contract but admits the club have not yet approached him to negotiate a new deal.
The 28-year-old returned to action in December after an 11-month absence with a knee injury, but faces a battle for a starting spot after the club signed Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting Lisbon last summer to compete alongside Kai Havertz.
Both Jesus and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta have dismissed rumors of Jesus leaving during the January transfer window and the Brazilian went further when speaking on Monday ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Asked if he would like to stay after 2027, when his current contract expires, Jesus said: “I think my first goal is to be healthy. This is my fourth season at Arsenal and unfortunately I played maybe one and a half, two. Then the rest, with injuries.
“That happens. It never happened to me before, but it happened here, I don’t know why. I don’t wonder about it anymore. I just try to stay fit and my first goal is to be healthy from now until the end of the season.
“As I said before, my wish is to stay at Arsenal. And then I also have a contract. Obviously, if you ask me, as you already did, I want to extend my contrast.
“I want to stay and I want to win trophies with Arsenal because I came here with a purpose. So that’s all. But obviously the reality is different.
“Sometimes it can go [another] shape. “But my goal is to stay healthy and then win trophies with Arsenal.”
When asked if there had already been talk of a new agreement, Jesus said, “No.”
He also backed Gyokeres to deliver for Arsenal after a difficult start following his €63.5 million ($73.9 million) transfer.
The Sweden international has scored just eight goals in 26 games, but Jesus said: “He is a great striker. He scored a lot of goals at his previous club. And then I am sure he will find a way to do the same for us because this is good for us.”
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“He is a striker who can score goals at all times, in every minute. In addition, Kai is also an incredible player, an incredible striker.
“I feel very happy to be back. I had the hardest injury of my life, 11 months. And then just to come back like I did, I’m very happy.
“In a club like Arsenal, as big as this, no one is guaranteed a place. So we are all here to help Arsenal try to win games and at the end of the season win trophies.”
Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapié and Max Dowman remained in London while recovering from their injuries, as Arsenal faced their fourth consecutive away game in a fourth different competition, the first time a team in the English top flight has faced such a run.
“We have to take it game by game,” Arteta said.
“We can try to look ahead, but what is coming and what is relevant is the next game. Sometimes we have been thinking a lot about the future next week or two or three weeks and something happens that we have to adapt to the circumstances.
“Take it game by game, enjoy the journey we’re on because it’s fantastic, go for it every game and let’s see what the next one has in store.”
Arsenal are currently top of the Champions League table and while finishing in the top two guarantees home advantage for the knockout rounds, a top eight place means they would avoid a two-legged play-off to reach the last 16.
“That’s huge, we know,” Arteta said.
“If we win tomorrow we know it will be like that, so let’s make it happen.”
