Fulham 'set to rival' Arsenal, Chelsea in race to sign Brazilian striker

Last month, it was reported that Arsenal and Chelsea were among a host of Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Jesus's progress.

The report claimed that Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Nottingham Forest are also among Jesus's potential suitors.

Jesus is attracting interest after producing a number of impressive performances during his short time as a Botafogo player.

The 23-year-old has scored eight goals and provided three assists in 24 matches since he joined Botafogo from Shabab Al-Ahli Club in July.

Jesus also showcased his attacking talents during his time in the UAE, registering 43 goals and 20 assists in 88 matches for Shabab Al-Ahli Club.

Fulham to rival Arsenal and Chelsea for Jesus

According to TBR Football, Fulham are set to join Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign the Brazilian striker in 2025.

The report claims that Fulham, along with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, have made checks on Jesus this week.

Jesus recently started Brazil's World Cup qualifying clash against Venezuela, with the forward playing 68 minutes in Thursday's 1-1 draw in Maturin.

With Jesus drawing significant interest, there is a belief that Botafogo will demand around £30m to part ways with a player who is under contract until December 2027.

Why are Fulham targeting a new striker?

Fulham boss Marco Silva can call upon Raul Jimenez, Rodrigo Muniz and Carlos Vinicius as his main three striker options.

Jimenez is currently regarded as Fulham's first-choice striker, while Muniz has had to settle for a backup role in recent times.

Meanwhile, Vinicius is yet to feature this season largely due to injury, but he is likely to be a third-choice option when he eventually returns to action.

The 29-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Galatasaray, and there is a possibility that he could be moved on when the transfer window opens in January.

If Vinicus were to leave the club, it would create space in the squad for Fulham to sign a new striker to challenge Jimenez and Muniz.