Arsenal braced for January interest in returning striker who has looked lively since recovering from injury

Soccer Football – Premier League – Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – December 13, 2025 Arsenal players celebrate their first goal, an own goal scored by Wolverhampton Wanderers' Sam Johnstone REUTERS/Dylan Martinez EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..

Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus is wanted by AC Milan. The Italian giants are currently second in the Serie A table behind rivals Inter, and are in the market for more attacking reinforcements in January.

As it stands, Santiago Gimenez is the only true striker on the books at AC Milan, and Calciomercato reports that the Rossoneri have identified Jesus as a top target. Jesus recently made his long awaited Arsenal return after missing nearly a year with injury.

After appearing as a substitute against Club Brugge in last week’s Champions League clash, he appeared once more as a substitute in Arsenal’s dramatic 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday. Jesus was the closest Arsenal player to the cross that glanced off the head of Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera and ended up in the Wolves net for Arsenal’s late winner.

In both appearances Jesus replaced summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, with some fans and pundits pointing out that it was Jesus that looked the more lively of the two. Jesus fashioned more shots on target and touches in the opposing box than Gyokeres against Brugge, and against Wolves he looked a constant threat.

The big money summer arrival of Gyokeres as well as the form of makeshift strikers Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino have called Jesus’ long term future at Arsenal under question.

Jesus has been linked with a move to other Premier League clubs this winter for more first team minutes to boost his chances of earning a spot in Brazil’s squad at next summer’s World Cup. West Ham and Everton are known to be interested in the player.

A move back to his hometown club Palmeiras in the summer has also been mooted. Any move would likely require a pay cut however, with Jesus’ current net salary sitting at just over €7 million per season.

Calciomercato reports that this figure is outside of AC Milan’s budget. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta last week ruled out a January departure for Jesus, saying the player has much to offer with his quality and mentality.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.