Brazilian football icon Neymar Jr has wished Gabriel Jesus well after his compatriot completed a move to Barcelona from Arsenal on a contract running until 2029.
Barcelona announced Tuesday the signing, having been unable to agree a deal with Argentine international Julian Alvarez at Atletico Madrid. The Catalan club reportedly paid about €10 million ($11.5 million) for the 29-year-old forward.
Barcelona are hoping to add some extra flair to their attack after the sale of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, with Jesus the new target to join. The Brazilian’s four seasons at Arsenal from his arrival from Man City proved to be unsuccessful as he failed to replicate the prolific output he displayed at the Etihad.
Jesus played 159 games for City scoring 58 goals and won four Premier League championships. He scored 32 goals in 132 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal.
He also suffered a serious knee injury in January 2025 which cut his season early in North London. The fall did have an impact on him and helped to push him down the league’s attacking ranks, behind Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres for Mikel Arteta. After his move, Neymar shared a short but expressive message on Instagram Stories to his fellow Brazilian.
“Congratulations to the kid,” Neymar wrote, in Portuguese.
The gesture takes on added meaning in the context of Neymar’s own experiences with Barcelona. The ex-Santos international signed for the Spaniards in 2013 and played for them for four seasons, over which he made 76 assists and scored 105 goals at Camp Nou before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Jesus will now look to get his career back on track in Spain and give Barcelona another attacking threat as they look to face the challenges that lie ahead.
