‘Gabriel Jesus should stick with Manchester City and Guardiola’ – Rivaldo warns Brazilian striker against move

Gabriel Jesus should be ignoring any interest being shown in from the likes of Inter, says Rivaldo, with the Brazilian striker urged to remain at Manchester City and under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.

At just 23 years of age, those at the Etihad Stadium have high hopes for the South American frontman. They do, however, have another in the form of Sergio Aguero on their books, and the Argentine remains their go-to man in the final third of the field.

That is restricting the opportunities for Jesus to shine from the start, with the hot prospect often having to make do with an impact role from the bench.

He is getting a chance to impress at present, with Aguero ruled out through injury, and continues to boast a notable strike rate that has seen him net 63 times in 142 appearances.

Jesus is also benefitting from working with Guardiola daily, with the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss expected to bring even more out of a player with potential still to be unlocked. With that in mind, Rivaldo feels his fellow countryman should be committing his long-term future to City.

The former Brazil international has told Betfair: “Sergio Aguero may have ended his season after a bad injury so Gabriel Jesus could have a great chance here of establishing himself as a regular starter in this decisive phase of the season.

“For that reason, Jesus needs to focus and build confidence by regularly scoring goals and help his team achieve their objectives.

“There are also rumours that Internazionale would try to sign Jesus if they sell Lautaro Martinez to Barcelona, but if it was me I would prefer to stay at City.

“Additionally, Gabriel Jesus is already settled to English football, to the city of Manchester and is being coached by one of the best, so I believe he should continue at the club as it might be the best option for his career at the moment.”

No formal approaches have been made for Jesus as yet, but the long-running saga involving Martinez at Inter may have a far-reaching impact on the summer transfer market. Any move for the Argentine, as Barcelona continue to circle, will set into motion a domino effect that sees a number of other strikers fall under the microscope.