What's Wrong With Gabriel Jesus?

It’s not easy leading the line for Brazil when your predecessors are Pelé, Romário, and Ronaldo Fenômeno. Just ask Fred, Luís Fabiano and even Robinho; anything other than bringing home the Copa do Mundo is regarded as a failure. So you could imagine the pressure on a 21-year-old GabrielJesus’ shoulders knowing that an entire nation was expecting him to follow in the footsteps of recent legends.

There was an overwhelming feeling of optimism towards Tite’s Brazil in the build-up to Russia 20118. They were the first team to qualify for the tournament, they were beating every team in South America, and they looked to had finally found a formula that suited them to a T. GabrielJesus was right at the heart of that newfound optimism. After leading Brazil to Olympic glory in Rio, he helped them cruise to the top of the CONMEBOL qualifying table, scoring 7 goals in 10 games. His role was simple: score the goals that Neymar creates. There was a simplicity to his game that complimented the exuberant flair of Philippe Coutinho and Neymar, and the fact that he made up for their lack of defensive work with his relentless pressing, made for a front three to be reckoned with.

Even before breaking out in the Brasileirão, Gabriel Jesus was a household name in the Palmeiras fanbase. Whilst playing for their youth teams, he was the club's leading goalscorer in 2013, with 54 goals in 45 matches. He scored 37 goals in 22 games for Palmeiras in the 2014 edition of the state under-17 championship, but he did not make any senior appearances that campaign with the club threatened by relegation. With the young prodigy shut out by both Ricardo Gareca and Dorival Júnior, supporters began a petition for him to leave Palmeiras. The following year, he began to catch fire, winning the "Best Newcomer" award. In 2016, in the span before the summer break, he scored 12 goals en route to the Verdão's first title since 1994, being voted as the "Bola de Auro" for best player. Teams across Europe scrambled over his signature, and in August, Palmeiras accepted a £27 million bid from Manchester City for the youngster. Jesus later revealed that it was a phone call with Pep Guardiola that swayed him to the blue side of Manchester, rather than the red side of Manchester or Barcelona.

The price tag raised eyebrows: were City paying that much for another CFA investment, or were they really going to integrate a kid from Palmeiras straight away?