Former Barcelona striker questions Gabriel Jesus’ signing: ‘He is a stopgap option’

Former Barcelona striker questions Gabriel Jesus’ signing: ‘He is a stopgap option’ Jean Marie Dongou has questioned whether Gabriel Jesus is the long-term answer to Barcelona’s search for an elite centre-forward. The former Barcelona youth-team striker believes Jesus can contribute goals and give Hansi Flick another useful attacking option, but he sees the €10 million signing as a temporary solution rather than the forward Barça ultimately need. Notably, Barcelona had pursued Julian Alvarez before turning to Jesus, and Dongou accepts that the club made every effort to land the Argentine.  However, he expects the search for a long-term striker to continue. “Barça should sort this out later on – I’m not sure whether that will be next summer or in January,” the former said on Tot Costa . Dongou sees Jesus as a short-term solution Jesus arrives with considerable experience from his time in the Premier League, but injuries and competition for places at Arsenal meant his career had lost some momentum before the move to Barcelona. Jean Marie Dongou has questioned Gabriel Jesus’ signing. (Picture credit: X/@FCBarcelona) Dongou believes Flick could revive the Brazilian’s best qualities. “I think Gabriel Jesus is a stopgap; he’s not the striker everyone wanted, but he is a great player, and if Flick can get him back to his best – the form he showed at City or Arsenal – we’ll have a player who can really help the team. “He will score goals in La Liga, but in the Champions League, he won’t be able to step up to compete against Europe’s top sides,” he continues. Barcelona’s attack should still produce goals Meanwhile, Dongou has little concern about Barcelona’s ability to create chances. The former academy forward believes Flick’s attacking structure gives whoever plays through the middle a strong platform to succeed, regardless of the identity of the striker. Julian Alvarez was Barcelona’s priority target. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) “I like what Barça create. Whoever plays up front will score goals – there’s no doubt about that. I have absolutely no doubt about that. “The problem is when teams of your own calibre come along; that’s when we’ll see if the team is ready to win the Champions League or to compete against the top sides. “But I have no doubt whatsoever that scoring goals isn’t a problem, given the way they play and the chances the team creates,” he analysed. Dongou’s solution is that Barcelona should continue searching for top-level talent rather than settling permanently for players who are merely capable of contributing. “Barça must sign the best players in the world, not average players; if we want to invest in young players, we already have La Masía. The rest must be players who make a real difference,” he concludes.