‘Unique’ Arsenal player could actually be the reason why Andrea Berta cannot sign Rodrygo now

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Rodrygo Goes has been on Arsenal’s radar since the start of the summer transfer window.

The versatile Real Madrid attacker is among the best players in Europe, and he is good enough to play for most top clubs in the world.

However, Xabi Alonso doesn’t seem to prefer Rodrygo in his starting lineup, and that was evident during the Club World Cup. The Brazilian started just once in the competition.

Arsenal have a genuine interest in Rodrygo, but they may not be able to sign him because of one player.

Gabriel Jesus could be the reason why Arsenal cannot sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid

Arsenal signed Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City in the summer of 2022.

The Brazilian, along with Oleksandr Zinchenko, helped turn the Gunners into title contenders, and his contribution to the club cannot be forgotten.

However, on the pitch, things have not worked out for Jesus. He has had several injury issues – he’s still recovering from the ACL he suffered in January.

That is why Arsenal cannot sell Jesus in this window, and it could also lead to the Gunners not being able to afford Rodrygo.

Sami Mokbel of the BBC claimed recently that the decision-makers at Arsenal are hesitant to sign Rodrygo because of his wage demands, which are in excess of £250,000 a week.

That, combined with transfer fees and money owed to agents, makes this a very expensive deal.

Things, however, could’ve been very different if Arsenal could sell Jesus, who earns £265,000 a week at the Emirates right now.

Andrea Berta could’ve just signed Rodrygo and paid him the wages that Jesus earns, but because the latter cannot be sold, Arsenal may end up missing out on the Real Madrid star.

Gabriel Jesus’ stats since joining Arsenal vs Rodrygo’s compared

Jesus, on his day, is an incredible player.

The Brazil international can cause chaos in and around the box. As Mikel Arteta once said, he possesses a ‘unique’ skill set that makes him very difficult to play against.

Rodrygo possesses many of the same skills, and his numbers compared to those of Jesus since the former Manchester City man joined Arsenal show that he is even more effective.

Rodrygo has contributed to more goals for Real Madrid than Jesus has done in the same period at Arsenal, but what’s even more impressive is the former’s availability.

The 24-year-old has played over 50 games in each of the last three seasons, which makes him a very reliable player to have in the squad.

It will be very difficult for Arsenal to sign Rodrygo without offloading Jesus this summer, but if anyone can get it done, it’s Berta.