£45m Arsenal player has had a ‘big’ chat with Mikel Arteta during pre-season

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Mikel Arteta heads into this season at Arsenal with a few difficult dilemmas to face as he pushes his squad to try to win the Premier League title.

The north London club have a stacked squad, and with so much talent comes a lot of competition.

Gabriel Jesus is one player who faces an uphill battle at Arsenal, as Kai Havertz seems to have taken his spot, and in recent times, there have been rumours that Jesus is set to leave the Gunners.

However, according to Steve Kay, speaking on KS1 TV, that is not the case.

The journalist says that Jesus has had a big chat with Mikel Arteta in recent times, and the conclusion of that conversation was that Jesus needs to work hard this summer and that he won’t be sold.

• READ MORE: Arsenal are keeping tabs on £30m attacker who scored 22 goals last season

Gabriel Jesus and Mikel Arteta have had a big chat

Kay shared what he knows about the £45m man and the Arsenal manager.

“Yeah he’s had a big heart to heart in the pre-season with Mikel Arteta. It wasn’t about his ability, but they said that they need to test him out and do certain things in the close season. He’s been working hard, he wants that number nine shirt. I’m hearing now that he will be staying,” Kay said.

What Mikel Arteta has said about Gabriel Jesus’ future

While there have been reports that Gabriel Jesus will leave Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has been clear about the player’s future.

Indeed, the Arsenal boss has claimed that Jesus will again be an important player for Arsenal in the future alongside Gabriel Martinelli.

“They (Jesus and Martinelli) are happy with where we are as a team, but of course everyone here wants to play more,” Arteta said.

“But they are decisions, things that I feel at every moment. Both were super important in the season. And that’s life: When he gets the chance, he has to speak and show it on the pitch.”

“He (Jesus) played a lot here. With me he played a lot. And it has been very important.

“But he suffered an injury, which saw him lose momentum, the team got into gear and we have to respect that.

“But that is part of it, the moment will come when he will get an opportunity and will be important again.”

Of course, Jesus has been here before as he’s played a similar sort of role for Manchester City where he’d be in and out of the team.

At City, Jesus ultimately decided that he had to leave the club, and while he’s not quite at that point yet with Arsenal, don’t be shocked if he starts to become unsettled if he doesn’t start many games this season.

Jesus’ situation at Arsenal is certainly a complex one.