Surprise! An Arsenal star is compared to Ronaldo

William Saliba revealed that his Arsenal teammates often call Gabriel Jesus “R9,” the nickname of the legendary Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario.

In a recent conversation with Sky Sports, center-back William Saliba shared an interesting detail about the nickname Arsenal players have given their teammate Gabriel Jesus. According to Saliba, the entire squad refers to the Brazilian striker as “R9,” a moniker associated with the legendary Ronaldo Nazario, one of the greatest forwards in football history.

Saliba, regarded as one of the top defenders today, has faced many elite strikers like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. However, he insists that within Arsenal there are also world-class forwards, with Jesus being a particularly special name.

“We have three Gabis in the team. If you want to call Martinelli, just call him Martinelli. For Jesus, everyone calls him R9, and he really likes it. As for Gabi Magalhaes, he’s Big Gabi,” Saliba shared.

Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba made their official Arsenal debuts in the same match, and since then, they have often crossed paths in training. Although Jesus has yet to fully explode at Emirates due to recurring injuries, teammates still regard him as one of the most skillful and dangerous players on the team. Even young talents like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis Skelly have acknowledged Jesus as the most technical player at Arsenal.

Interestingly, the comparison of Jesus to Ronaldo Nazario is not limited to Arsenal’s internal circle. The Brazilian legend himself has praised his junior in special terms. In a 2022 statement, Ronaldo declared:

“Gabriel today is one of the best strikers in the world, and he has matured a lot since 2018. Goals will come naturally, and that shouldn’t be a worry. He just needs to get on the pitch and play to his full potential.”

Comparing someone to Ronaldo “The Phenomenon” is no easy feat, as Nazario is considered an icon of attacking football, a player who amazed the world with his speed, technique, and exceptional goal-scoring ability. However, this analogy also reflects how important Jesus is in the eyes of his Arsenal teammates, as well as the admiration he receives in the dressing room.

Although Gabriel Jesus has not yet reached his peak form in the Premier League, he is still regarded as an indispensable element in the playing style that coach Mikel Arteta has built. His skillfulness, intelligent movement, and match experience continue to help Arsenal maintain a diverse attacking threat.

Being nicknamed “R9” can be seen as a sign of Arsenal’s confidence and high expectations for Jesus. If the Brazilian striker can overcome injury setbacks and regain his best form, he could absolutely become one of the Gunners’ most dangerous weapons on their quest for trophies.