Gabriel Jesus has opened up about his surprising move to Barcelona this season, revealing that he had initially expected to remain at Arsenal and see out his contract.Jesus explained that he was prepared to stay in north London or return to Brazil before Barcelona made their move. His eventual switch to the Catalan club came as a surprise, despite previous reports that his entourage had been working towards a move to Spain.Barcelona became interested after failing to sign Julian Alvarez, while Jesus accepted a significant pay cut to complete the transfer. Arsenal were also happy to allow him to leave as he entered the final year of his contract.The forward had struggled for regular opportunities at the Emirates, finding himself behind Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino in the pecking order. Arsenal therefore had few reasons to prevent his departure.Jesus expected to stay at ArsenalDespite Arsenal being willing to sell, Jesus had been ready to remain with the Gunners and run down his contract. He was also open to returning to Brazil, with Palmeiras pushing to sign him before Barcelona entered the picture.Jesus admitted that a move to Barcelona had not been something he expected to happen at that stage of his career.“In my head, either I would stay at Arsenal until the end of my contract, or I would return to Brazil,” Jesus said to Barcelona’s official website.“I thought the opportunity to play for Barça had passed, but God surprised me again.”(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Barcelona move surprised JesusThe opportunity arrived quickly after Barcelona decided to pursue him, giving Jesus little reason to consider other options. He was determined to take advantage of the chance to join the Spanish giants.“Imagine being away from the pitch for a week and then Barça turn up wanting to sign you. I didn’t want to hear about anything else. Coming here was quick and easy.”Jesus has now started a new chapter with Barcelona after believing his options were limited to staying at Arsenal or returning to Brazil._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsGabriel Jesus says he wanted to see out his contract at Arsenal8 October 2026, 23:00Dan’s EPL Predictions Week 6: Arsenal to bounce back as Liverpool edge Man City8 October 2026, 22:00Arsenal is close to securing the long-term future of another key player8 October 2026, 21:00The post Gabriel Jesus says he wanted to see out his contract at Arsenal appeared first on Just Arsenal News.