Gabriel Jesus was outlining the scale of his task to get a place in the Manchester City side. Competing with Sergio Aguero seems both a privilege and an impossible task.
The Argentine has scored both the most famous goal in City’s history, his 2012 title decider against QPR, and the most, 243. He has 12 in as many games this season.
It explains why Jesus hopes to use his versatility to become Aguero’s sidekick, rather than his deputy, by proving himself as a winger.
“It is difficult to describe Sergio,” said Jesus. “Sergio is the top scorer of the club and every game he shows us why he is the top scorer so, of course, I have to learn from him because he is a legend. Every game he scores.
I want to score every game but I think it is different. I am 22 years old, I have to improve and practice my finishing.” They are rivals in a different sense for club and country but friends. “Of course, sometimes we are in a derby, Brazil against Argentina, but it is a very good relationship,” Jesus said.
It is testament to his potency that he averages a goal every 124 minutes in his Premier League career and that he scored 21 times in all competitions last season, but a sign of Aguero’s excellence that his understudy only began eight league games then.
Jesus has been the deluxe deputy. He has been Brazil’s first-choice No 9 and City’s second-choice striker at times. Now he is open to returning to his roots on the flanks. “I like to play as a winger,” Jesus said. He operated on the left in City’s 3-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
For Brazil, meanwhile, he has been reinvented on the other side after leading the line in the World Cup. “Since the Copa America, I play right winger. I like it. I started with the position in Brazil at my old club [Palmeiras] and after I got to play as a striker but of course I like to play both positions. I think it is very important you can play more than one.”
Pep Guardiola has always preferred forwards with a broader skillset. Jesus may not be Aguero’s equal as a poacher but the City manager appreciates his all-round game, in particular his pressing and his unselfishness, which equips him to operate in a wider role.
However, it is a learning process. Southampton’s defensive tactics presented him with a new challenge. “It was my first game as a winger with five at the back for Southampton so it is difficult when you dribble past one [defender] and have another one,” Jesus said.
It was the first game Aguero and Jesus had started together for 13 months, though City’s record when both begin a match – 11 wins and three draws in 14 – is formidable. City have scored 30 goals in the last nine games with the two South American forwards in harness.
And yet, if they are to team up, it will come at the expense of another elite player. Rather than competing with Aguero, Jesus is up against Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and, when fit again, Leroy Sane if he wants a place on the wings.
“That’s it,” he said. “That is City, the competition is very high but I think we have good players and an amazing team. We have big players here like Sergio, Raz [Sterling], Bernardo, Kevin [de Bruyne], everyone.” Aguero is not the only Argentinian. Nicolas Otamendi has a tendency to kick Jesus in international matches. “Yeah, always,” the Brazilian said. “The training sessions as well but he is a very good guy, a funny guy and my friend here.”
