There is now pressure on the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho, Sergio Aguero and David Silva, as Manchester City have completed the signing of Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras on Thursday.
City originally struck a £27m deal for Jesus in August 2016, but the 19-year-old remained with Palmeiras for the remainder of the Brazilian league season, helping them claim the title in November.
The Premier League club have now completed all formalities and Jesus is in line to make his debut against Tottenham at the Etihad on Saturday.
“I want to win titles and Manchester City is a club that is used to winning,” Jesus told the club’s official website.
“City is a club that always competes for the title in the competitions it enters, so that was an important factor, and because of the manager, [Pep] Guardiola, and the squad.”
According to the UK Mirror, Guardiola will be hoping Jesus shakes some of his star names from their current slumber, with Aguero and Silva the men most at risk.
Aguero has blown hot and cold since serving a four-game ban last month and could lose his place to Jesus if Guardiola prefers the energetic youngster leading his attack.
Iheanacho is already behind Aguero in the strikers’ pecking order at City and could drop further down with Jesus’ arrival. But the Nigerian believes the new boy will only strengthen the squad.
“I’m going to be happy to see him playing with us,” Iheanacho said in an interview with Manchester Evening News two weeks ago.
“He’s a great kid, he’s a great striker, and he has great qualities.”
“What we need is to help our club. We need everybody, both the people coming in and the people here, to carry the team along.
“It’s a collective effort. It’s not a one-man show, we need everybody around. He is my team-mate now so we see him as one.
“The manager needs to bring his players to help us achieve our dreams this season”, he added.
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