Arsenal transfer dithering saw Gunners miss out on cut-price Jesus alternative

Arsenal could seemingly have landed another one of their striker targets this summer, if only they'd moved quicker.

The Gunners wrapped up a £45m deal for Gabriel Jesus earlier this week, with the 25-year-old moving to London after 95 goals in 236 appearances for Manchester City.

The Brazil international has been handed the No.9 shirt at the Emirates Stadium, and will be looked to as Mikel Arteta's first-choice centre-forward in the coming campaign.

But while Gunners fans are rightly excited about the new signing, the club could seemingly have added some quality backup to Jesus for just over £11m this summer.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette having both departed north London, youth products Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balgun are the only other out and out forwards available to Arteta, which explains Arsenal 's apparent interest in exciting young Czech forward Adam Hlozek.

Despite being just 19, Hlozek has already featured 15 times for the Czech Republic senior team, and played for his country at last summer's European Championships.

The Gunners even had an 'in' when it came to signing the talented teenager from Sparta Prague, with their former midfielder Tomas Rosicky reportedly endorsing a move.

But when it came to making a bid for Hlozek's services, the forward and his representatives were already deep in talks with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, according to the player's father.

"There was Newcastle, they were somewhere else financially. Lyon, Sevilla, Dortmund, Bayern… however, we wanted to give the next step a little sense, so as not to jump to a mega club right away," Zbynek Hlozek told iSport.cz in the Czech Republic when explaining the transfer.

"When Leverkusen was almost done, we heard about a huge intervention from Arsenal. But the negotiation was already a long way down the line.

"Borussia Monchengladbach were the same, they spoke to Adam personally twice in the spring.

"They were excited about him but they didn't have the financial strength."

While Hlozek would undoubtedly have been a quality backup forward to Jesus, the man himself is just happy to be at the club.

"I'm so happy to sign for this big club," said Jesus on Monday.

"Since day one when I knew I could come to play for Arsenal, I was happy. I know the staff, I know some players, the Brazilian ones. I know there are a lot of top players.

"They are young and I'm still young as well, so I am so happy to be here to help. I come to help, to learn as well and to try to do my best."