Barcelona just pulled off a wild last-minute move in the transfer market, finally locking down Gabriel Jesus for a cool €10 million! The Brazilian international is signing a permanent two-year deal, and trust me, they are hoping he is the missing number nine to boost that frontline and add some much-needed depth.
Neymar Tried to Reel Him In Back in 2016
But here is the kicker: this is not some fresh pursuit. Nope, Barcelona had their eyes on Gabriel way back in 2016 when he was tearing it up for Palmeiras in Brazil. Their then-sporting director, Robert Fernandez, even jetted to Brazil to scout him personally. The problem? Every big club in Europe wanted a piece of him, and the kid was truly torn on where to go next.
So, what did Barca do? They played the Neymar card! Neymar, already a Barcelona star, was with Gabriel in the Brazilian national team, prepping for the Rio Olympics. Neymar totally went for it, trying to convince Gabriel to come to Camp Nou. Gabriel himself later spilled the beans in an interview, saying Neymar knew what it was like for a young player to be courted by all these European giants. Neymar apparently talked up Barcelona, the city, even how the weather was similar to Brazil. Classic move, right?
Pep Guardiola’s Game-Changing Phone Call
You would think that pitch from a national team buddy would seal the deal, but then Pep Guardiola swooped in like a boss. Despite all of Neymar’s efforts, Gabriel took a different path. Manchester City won the race for his signature, all thanks to a phone call from Pep himself! Gabriel admitted it made him rethink, saying, “it made me doubt because Barça is also a great club, but I realised that I could go to another great one with more chances of playing. I saw that City was really interested in me after talking to Pep on the phone.”
That was it for Barcelona’s chase back then, and Gabriel went on to light up the league with City and later Arsenal. Now, a whole decade later, the Brazilian striker is finally completing that move to Camp Nou. What a long, strange trip it has been to get their guy!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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