Gabriel Jesus talks Lamine Yamal, Neymar, Guardiola, Ballon d’or, life at Barcelona

Gabriel Jesus talks Lamine Yamal, Neymar, Guardiola, Ballon d’or, life at Barcelona Lamine Yamal will be the biggest topic at Barcelona this month, with the explosive winger currently one of the leading contenders to win the Ballon d’Or . Barcelona have run a big campaign in support of Yamal, who has also received endorsements from various football personalities. Yamal is now being compared to Barcelona legend Neymar as well, with the club’s new signing Gabriel Jesus pointing out that he has similar qualities. Gabriel compares Yamal to Neymar In a recent interview with EFE (h/t MARCA ), Gabriel Jesus talked about Neymar and how he is one of the most gifted players he has ever played with. But the Brazilian added that Lamine Yamal, too, shares similar qualities as Neymar, as he heaped praise on the Barcelona superstar. “Neymar is the most virtuoso footballer I’ve ever played with; he could do everything with both feet. For me, he’s untouchable; nobody can compare to him,” he said about Neymar. “But it’s true that Lamine has some of his qualities, like his dribbling and personality,” Jesus continued. Gabriel believes Yamal has the same skillset as Neymar. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images) “He’s still very young, but he does things like a mature player, as if he were 30 years old. He’s a genius who improves every year, who becomes more and more of a genius,” he added. The former Arsenal and Man City star went on to back Yamal to win more trophies throughout his career, including the World Cup. “I don’t like to talk about the Ballon d’Or because I don’t know if they reward a player’s talent, their performance, or titles, but Lamine is the player I’ve enjoyed watching the most for years, and this year he’s won almost everything. “For me, he’s the favourite,” he said when asked about the Ballon d’Or race. On Ronaldo Nazario and his injury battles Gabriel also spoke about the pride of wearing the number nine shirt once donned by Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario at Barcelona, a player he idolises. “I have also worn the number nine for Brazil, which for me is the most prestigious shirt in the world, but it’s a good kind of pressure for me,” he said. The striker considers Ronaldo an idol, particularly for the way the legend overcame serious knee injuries, something Gabriel himself has endured. Having suffered two major knee setbacks in recent years, he admitted he has had to adapt his game. “For example, I always try to stay closer to the area to finish plays and not go out so much to look for the ball, because now I want to help more with goals,” he revealed. On finally joining Barcelona Gabriel also reflected on how his move to Barcelona came about, a decade after the club first showed interest in him. “In my mind, I was either staying at Arsenal until my contract ended or going back to Brazil. I thought the opportunity to play for Barça had passed, but God surprised me again. “ Imagine being sidelined for a week and then Barça comes along and wants to sign you. I didn’t want to hear anything else. Coming here was quick and easy,” he said. Barcelona had wanted to sign him back in 2016, but the presence of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez convinced him to join Manchester City instead. “At that time, Barça had three forwards, so it was difficult to get playing time. Of course, I could have learned a lot from them, but I needed to play. “And I decided to go with Pep (Guardiola) to City because I thought that, being so young, being with him was the best thing for my future, ” he explained. Can Gabriel Jesus make a bigger impact at Barcelona? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) On his adaptation, teammates and Flick The Brazilian has settled seamlessly into life in Barcelona, both on and off the pitch, and was particularly complimentary of one lesser-known teammate. “Everyone talks about Lamine, Pedri, Gavi, Bernal, Xavi Espart, the talent from La Masia . But I’ve been surprised by a player that no one seems to notice: Brian Farinas. “What I’ve seen from him every day in training has impressed me greatly, and I also like that he can play in at least three positions,” he revealed. He also highlighted his close bond with Joao Cancelo. “The person I’m closest to is Joao, because we played together for three or four years at City and he also speaks Portuguese,” he said. Gabriel went on to compare Hansi Flick with his former coach Guardiola, highlighting the intensity both demand. “Sometimes I come home very tired, but it’s necessary to implement our style of play. When we don’t have the ball, we have to press to win it back, and we have to train with that intensity,” he said. Finally, Gabriel made clear his ambition to win major honours during his time at Barcelona. “With Barça I want to win everything. Not just the Champions League, La Liga too, because I’ve won it in Brazil and England, and now I want to win it in Spain. And, of course, the Champions League, because I’ve already lost two finals,” he said. “I’m a guy who really believes in God’s plans and it’s no coincidence that I’ve come to Barça, you know?” he concluded. Gabrel Jesus’ focus now will be on the weekend encounter against Getafe, where he could potentially get a rare starting opportunity , as Hansi Flick looks to rotate his squad.