'I don't want to leave' - Arsenal star sends out plea to Mikel Arteta and tells Gunners he's ready to 'wake up the sleeping giant'

Jesus has publicly addressed growing speculation surrounding his future at Arsenal, making it clear that he does not want to leave the club despite interest from elsewhere. The Brazilian forward has been linked with potential moves away as he continues his comeback from a long spell on the sidelines and faces competition for a place in Arteta’s squad.

The timing of Jesus’ comments is significant. Arsenal have navigated much of the season without key attacking options, while squad dynamics have shifted following his lengthy absence through injury. With his return to fitness still being carefully managed, questions have emerged about his role and whether a change of scenery might appeal at this stage of his career.

Instead of fuelling those rumours, Jesus has chosen to reaffirm his commitment to Arsenal and to Arteta. He has framed his situation not as a battle for minutes, but as part of a wider mission to help the club win trophies, emphasising that his contribution goes far beyond simply scoring goals.

“I feel that I have unfinished business at Arsenal. I don’t want to leave,” Jesus said, addressing suggestions that he could move elsewhere in an interview with The Players' Tribune. “People have asked, ‘Why don’t you just leave? Why don’t you go to Saudi? Or back home to Brazil?’ One day, I would love for everything to come full circle with Palmeiras, but not today.”

The forward explained that his decision to join Arsenal was rooted in ambition rather than personal comfort. “When I came here to join Mikel, my purpose was not only to score goals. My purpose was to win titles,” he said. “When I came to the Premier League, I think most people’s reaction was, ‘Oh? Who is this kid?’ They looked at me as a pure goalscorer. But that’s not how I see myself.”

Jesus also highlighted his versatility and mentality as reasons why Arteta brought him to the club. “My strongest trait is that I will do whatever it takes to help the team win titles,” he added. “At City, I played many roles. I shared the goal-scoring load sometimes, other times I played out on the wing, and other times I used my physicality to link up play. I don’t always need to be the number nine to help the team. I am not still here for the weather. I am here to make history.”

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Jesus’ message is shaped heavily by his own career experiences, particularly his formative years in Brazil. He recalled his breakthrough at Palmeiras, where he was promoted to the first team at 18 during a long trophy drought. According to Jesus, that experience shaped his belief in long-term projects and cultural change within clubs.

“When I got called to the main team at Palmeiras, they hadn’t won the Brazilian league in 22 years,” he explained. “We woke up the ‘sleeping giant’ and won the title, and now they can’t stop winning.” For Jesus, that transformation is a powerful reference point for what he believes Arsenal can achieve.

He sees parallels between that period at Palmeiras and Arsenal’s current trajectory. Jesus believes the foundations are in place at the Emirates, pointing to the squad, the standards set by the manager and the daily demands placed on everyone at the club. In his view, sustained success is not far away if belief and consistency are maintained. Arsenal currently sit atop the Premier League standings after a very strong start to the season; however, their recent form has not been up to par 

Jesus’ immediate focus will be on continuing his return to full fitness and earning opportunities on the pitch. After an extended absence, his minutes are likely to be managed carefully alongside Viktor Gyokeres as Arsenal balance domestic and European commitments, while Arteta is keen to avoid further setbacks to his personnel and the Gunners' performances.

Competition within the squad remains intense, and Jesus is aware that his role may evolve. Rather than viewing that as a negative, he has framed it as an opportunity to contribute in different ways, whether through pressing, link-up play or providing experience in decisive moments.