Gabriel Jesús has revealed that Pep Guardiola was a major factor in his decision to join Manchester City this winter, even though he had more lucrative financial offers from other clubs. The 19-year old joins up with his new teammates in January having signed for City in August.
There was a scrum among Europe’s top clubs for Jesús’ signature, but the striker opted to join City. In an interview with fourfourtwo magazine, he elaborated on his reasons for choosing the Manchester club.
"There was [a lot of interest in my signature], but I don"t want to name any club," he said. "The decision to join City was taken by me, with my family and my agent – and it wasn"t the best financial offer.
"We considered many things, but I really appreciate the whole City project and I"m so happy with the decision. City are a huge club in a country that loves football and has one of the best leagues. I can"t deny that working with Guardiola helped with my decision.
"He"s an excellent manager – one of the best in the world – and I can"t describe how proud I am when he says good things about me. I"m proud that he likes my way of playing, but that"s not enough for me. I need to show that he was right about me."