Real Madrid have reportedly gained the upper hand over rivals Barcelona to secure the services of Brazilian starlet Gabriel Jesus.
Barcelona are looking to add depth to their formidable attack lineup of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus was eyed as a perfect signing by manager Luis Enrique, but Real Madrid have reportedly acted earlier to gain the upper hand over their La Liga rivals. Speaking about the strikers’ scenario, Messi is on the verge of signing a long-term deal with the club despite interest from Premier League giants Chelsea.
Real Madrid favourites to land Gabriel Jesus
Palmeiras striker Gabriel Jesus is being heavily linked with a host of top European clubs. It is understood that La Liga rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona are fighting tooth and nail over the signature of the highly-rated Brazilian, but it is the former that have gained the upper hand over the Catalan side.
According to Gonzalo Castro of the AS, Palmeiras’ sporting director is in Spain to negotiate with Real Madrid. The fee would be €24m but the 19-year old striker would stay at least another season in Brazil. His arrival in the 2017/18 campaign would bolster the Los Blancos’ attack, and given his current form, he may even challenge Karim Benzema for a starting role. In the ongoing Brasileirão season, the youngster has bagged 10 goals and provided 3 assists in just 13 appearances (via WhoScored).
This means that Barcelona would miss out on one of Brazil’s most promising youngsters who, unlike Neymar, would make the switch to the Santiago Bernabeu. Gabriel’s performances haven’t gone unnoticed, as Olympic coach Rogerio Micalehe has named him the 18-man-squad that will be fighting for gold at Rio in August.
Lionel Messi to extend his Barca contract
It was reported earlier that Lionel Messi’s father Jorge had met with Chelsea owner Roman Abrahimovich over a possibility of luring the Argentine superstar to Stamford Bridge. However, according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t 101 Great Goals), Messi will soon sign an extension to his current Barcelona contract that would expire in the summer of 2018.
It is stated that the Argentine’s new deal would see him remain at the Camp Nou until 2021, when he turns 33. His current salary of €305, 610 per week is expected to be hiked, while there is no clarity about increasing his staggering €250 million buy-out clause.
