The 21-year-old striker, widely regarded as one of the finest young talents in the game, officially joined the Club in January 2017 and has since scored 24 goals in 53 games, playing a significant role in our Premier League and Carabao Cup successes of last season.
He says he is thrilled to have penned a new deal with a Club he feels offers him the best possible environment for improvement.
Gabriel told ManCity.com: “I would like to thank the fans for the welcome and for how well they have treated me. I can say that it was the best decision I’ve made in my life to come to Manchester City because whilst I’m here I’m improving as a professional and as a person.
“Also thanks to the Club for being so organised and focused since I arrived. Pep had an important role in my signing, but also the Club. City is a huge Club and it is getting bigger and bigger so I just want to say thanks for everything. I hope that I can keep making the fans happy.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain added: “Gabriel is undoubtedly one of the best young forwards in world football, so to have him commit his future to us is a huge boost.
“There’s so much variety in his game. I know how much Pep enjoys working with him and I am really looking forward to watching his development in the coming years.”
Everyone at City would like to congratulate Gabriel on signing his new contract and we wish him all the very best during his time here.
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The rise and rise of Gabriel
Jesus began his amateur career with Clube Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente aged 8, before moving to Associação Atlética Anhanguera.
In 2013, he joined Palmeiras and went on to break the club’s academy goalscoring record with 54 goals in 48 matches – including 37 in 22 in the Campeonato Paulista, Brazil’s under-17 state championships in 2014.
Calls from the Palmeiras supporters to see him promoted to the senior side grew louder.
Known then as Gabriel Fernando, he was given the No. 33 shirt – the age of Christ – and a shrewd Palmerias press officer encouraged him to take the name Gabriel Jesus.
He was handed his senior debut by Oswaldo de Oliveira on 7 March 2015, coming on in the 73rd minute of a 1–0 win over CA Bragantino at Allianz Parque.
His first professional goal soon followed away to Agremiação Sportiva Arapiraquense on 15 July 2015, the winner in a two-legged Copa do Brasil tie.
He was just 18 and gradually being eased into the side by new manager Marcelo Oliveira - but his superb goal against Cruzeiro in the last 16 of the Copa De Brazil, where he put goalkeeper Fabio on the floor at the end of a mazy run before finishing expertly from a tight angle, meant he could no longer be held back.
Palmerias went on to win the competition, Jesus’ first major piece of silverware, beating Santos in the final.
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At the end of the season, he was awarded the prestigious Golden Boy award by the CBF, recognition for the quality of his performances at such a young age, and interest in securing his signature increase.
But it was City who struck a deal for the forward in August 2016 and allowed him to remain with Palmeiras for the remainder of their league season.
He scored three goals in six games as Brazil’s under-23s won Olympic Gold in Rio, and his form saw him promoted to the senior Brazil squad and given the No. 9 shirt.
He made his international debut in 2016 against Ecuador. After a fairly uninspired 70 minutes, he suddenly burst into life, dispossessing Arturo Mina and racing towards goal, before being upended by the goalkeeper. Neymar stepped up, scored the penalty, and then Jesus bagged twice, one with the outside of his boot, the other a curling finish into the top corner.
A new star was born.
A Seleção won their next eight qualifiers as Tite broke João Saldanha’s 47-year record of six in succession. Jesus scored in wins over Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru and Brazil qualified for Russia 2018.
In late November 2016, he helped Palmeiras win the Brazilian league title – their first in 22 years - finishing as their top scorer with 12 goals en route to the title.
In total, he scored 28 goals in 85 matches for the Brazilian side.
Since joining City in January 2017, he has scored 24 goals in 53 games, despite two nasty injuries, and has already won two major trophies.
Jesus – a talisman for success
It’s no coincidence that since signing for City, Gabriel Jesus has established himself as a by-word for success.
And while City were breaking a multitude of records on the way to securing both the Premier League and Carabao Cup last season, the young Brazilian was also creating history of his own.
Up until our derby defeat to Manchester United in April, Jesus had gone 32 league games in a row without ever tasting defeat in the top-flight.
Not surprisingly that remarkable run established a new Premier League record, easily beating the previous best tally which had been set by ex-United midfielder Simon Davies in 1994-95 on just 11 games unbeaten to start a Premier League career.
Ahead of the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the former Palmeiras striker has now played 39 times in the Premier League for City, winning 32 games, drawing six and losing just the one.
An amazing statistic by any reckoning.
403 days without defeat!
Gabriel also created another notable landmark personal achievement during last season.
Prior to our 2-1 loss away at Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League last December, Jesus had not tasted defeat for 403 days in a competitive match for either City or Brazil.
Before that defeat away in the Ukraine, Gabriel had last lost a game for his club or country when Palmeiras were beaten by Santos way back on October 30, 2016.
Following on from that loss and his subsequent move to Manchester to officially join City in January 2017, Gabriel then went more than a full calendar year without experiencing defeat.
Gabriel’s incredible record during that time was:
Manchester City: 32 games (27 wins, 5 draws, 0 defeats).
Brazil: 6 games (4 wins, 2 draws, 0 defeats).
Palmeiras: 4 games (3 wins, 1 draw, 0 defeats).
