Ex-Arsenal striker Smith: Gabriel Jesus signing definitely a coup | OneFootball

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has hailed their swoop for Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian's arrival was confirmed on Monday as Mikel Arteta officially welcomed his leading attacking target to the club, with the former Manchester City striker penning a five-year contract in north London.

Smith told Sky Sports: "It's definitely a coup for Arsenal. He's committed his best years to Arsenal.

“The good thing about Arsenal's recruitment now is that they are signing players without too much media fanfare. For example, we did hear about Jesus but when we did hear they were already quite far down the line in terms of securing his signature.

“Then there was Fabio Vieira from Porto. Nobody saw that one coming either and the best recruitment teams at clubs are able to do that. They do a lot of work behind the scenes, maybe even six months to a year in the build-up to signing a player, but they do it without too much fanfare or drama.

“That points to a department of the club that is really functioning well and it's really encouraging that they have got that side of things working well because it was a bit of a mess a few years back. Now Edu and Arteta are on the same page, they agree what is needed and that relationship is vital."