Bartomeu: "Gabriel Jesus is a great player"

Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu referred to Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesus during his Thursday press conference.

The player is one of Barcelona's main priorities this summer, though Bartomeu was cagey with regards to the open negotiations: "We do not confirm or deny the things that are being published as that is your job", he told the assembled media.

"I can say that I have seen him play for Palmeiras many times and he is a great player. That is my opinion, as a lover of football, but the club will not say anything until there is something confirmed."

When pressed on the matter, Bartomeu laughed and added: "I am not saying if we are trying to sign him or not. If it were true, saying so could harm the negotiations. And if the opposite were the case, it could seem as if we are rejecting him, and that is not true."

He then concluded his thoughts on the Brazilian by commenting that Gabriel Jesus "is a good player, I have seen him in five games this year. If you (the press) have seen him play, you will have seen that he is a different type of player to the rest."