London - Arsenal have signed Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City on a long-term contract, the north London Premier League club announced yesterday.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed but British media reported the 25-year-old Brazil international was signed in a deal worth US$54.54 million (nearly R900m).

Jesus previously worked with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta when the Spaniard was an assistant to City boss Pep Guardiola between 2016 and 2019.

"I'm very excited. The club has done a tremendous job to recruit a player of this stature," Arteta said in a statement.

"I know Gabriel personally very well, and we all know him well from his time in the Premier League and being really successful here.

"This is a position that's been on our radar for a long time now and we have managed to get a player that we all wanted, so I'm really happy."

“I followed Arsenal when I was young because of [Thierry] Henry,” Jesus told Arsenal’s website.

“Obviously, I didn’t follow too many European teams but when I saw some of the players that played here, I was like ‘wow, this club is big’.

“When I played against Arsenal I was looking at the Emirates and it was a very good stadium, so I’m very excited to play here.”

Jesus was surplus to requirements at City after the Premier League champions signed Norway striker Erling Haaland from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.