Manchester City race to get Gabriel Jesus cleared for Sunday’s Premier League clash at Everton
Pep Guardiolia needs to sort out the paperwork by Friday so his new £27m Brazilain teenager from Palmeiras can make an instant debut
MANCHESTER CITY are racing to get new-boy Gabriel Jesus cleared in time for this weekend.
The club are still sorting the paperwork for their £27million signing from Palmeiras — and hope they can finish it this week.
They would need to do it by Friday if the Brazilian youngster is to make his debut at Everton two days later — assuming boss Pep Guardiola decides he is fit enough.
Guardiola previously said he did not expect the youngster to need long to get his fitness up before going into the first team.
And with key games coming up against the Toffees and then Tottenham, he would love to have the Brazil forward available.
The Etihad chief is determined not to put too much pressure on Jesus — but he is expecting goals from him.
Guardiola said: “He’s 19 years old, so he’s so, so young.
“He’s strong, because when you are able to play as a No9 for Brazil, I think it’s good.
“But I don’t want to put him under a lot of pressure, saying he has to solve our problems.
“What he has to do is play as freely as possible and score as many goals as possible when he’s going to play — and I think he is going to help us in that.”
Guardiola plans for Jesus to play alongside main striker Sergio Aguero rather than instead of him — which is sure to excite the club’s fans.
The City boss added: “He has played as a winger, to make movements, outside and inside, but of course he has to play close to the goal.
“He’s not a typical winger down the line, like Marcus Rashford or Jesus Navas.
“He makes a good movement, runs in behind, and you have to use him close to Sergio, close to our strikers.”
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber — identified by City as a possible January signing — has agreed to join Schalke.
Guardiola put a move on hold while he assessed Vincent Kompany’s latest comeback, allowing Schalke to make their move.
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