"There's a film in my head. A film with happy ending.”

Gabriel Jesus, bidding farewell to Palmeiras in emotive fashion, isn’t lacking for a sweet turn of phrase and, fortunately for Manchester City, he isn’t short of a Hollywood finish either.

This month, the latest act in the Brazilian forward’s motion picture begins, a scene set against the inevitably grey skies of Manchester but burning bright with the promise of one of South America’s finest young prospects.

And for all the transfer talk this January – and there will be plenty of it – City will end the month as the title contender that has strengthened their bid most convincingly when Jesus pulls on a sky blue shirt for the first time.

Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal, assuming you still believe the Gunners to be in the race, are unlikely to do significant business. Liverpool might make a move, but are not expected to shatter the earth.

But City, who admittedly have a ten-point gap to make up on Antonio Conte’s league leaders from Stamford Bridge, will be adding a £27million striker to their squad, Brazil’s number 9, a star of the new generation.

Not yet out of his teens, Gabriel Jesus is already a household name in South America and was the subject of a year-long tug-of-war among Europe’s biggest clubs. The Manchester club’s project, effusively sold to him by leading executives from the City Football Group, seduced the talented teen but he enters a Premier League season at halfway, with his club's new coach and philosophy under the microscope.

Pep Guardiola suggested City might be out of the title race after the humiliation at Everton but the feeling within the training ground is very different. He did not rip his players to shreds in the aftermath of that heavy defeat, instead praising them, and training has been intense but not fraught with the anger you might expect from Guardiola's tense on-screen match-ups with the media.

Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Joel Robles - 7 out of 10 Quick off his line when City got in behind the Everton defence in the first half. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Seamus Coleman - 7 out of 10 More restricted in his attacking than usual, but still managed to bag an injury time assist. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Leighton Baines - 7 out of 10 Creative in attack, resolute in defence. The wing-back remains a big part of Everton's team. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Ashley Williams - 7 out of 10 Covered well when De Bruyne peppered deliveries in from the left. AFP/Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Ramiro Funes Mori - 6 out of 10 Frustrated Aguero for long periods although often found himself chasing runners behind. AFP/Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Mason Holgate - 7 out of 10 Making only his 2nd Premier League start, the youngster showed maturity as part of a back three. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Gareth Barry - 7 out of 10 A big influence in midfield, he kept Everton's game simple but effective. AFP/Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Tom Davies - 9 out of 10 A busy, bustling midfield display from the impressive youngster who capped a great performance with a great goal. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Kevin Mirallas - 8 out of 10 Terrorised the City defence and ended with a goal and assist to his name. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Ross Barkley - 7 out of 10 A more mature performance from the forward than of late, his pass for Mirallas' goal being a highlight. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Romelu Lukaku - 8 out of 10 Opened the scoring with an assured finish and kept City's centre-backs under pressure all game. AFP/Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Claudio Bravo - 2 out of 10 A nightmare afternoon for the much-maligned goalkeeper who conceded four of the five on target shots he faced. AFP/Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Bacary Sagna - 6 out of 10 An interesting outlet for City on the right, he nearly brought them level with a looping header at the end of the first half. AFP/Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings John Stones - 5 out of 10 A difficult return to his former club, his confidence suffered as his team leaked goals. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Nicolas Otamendi - 4 out of 10 Bullied by Lukaku, he let himself down with some preposterous playacting in injury time. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Gael Clichy - 5 out of 10 Patrolled the left flank, but was poor in possession. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Yaya Toure - 5 out of 10 Phoning it in. A player of his ability should be offering his side more. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Pablo Zabaleta - 5 out of 10 Started in midfield, the Argentine flew into tackles with normal gusto but lacked the awareness and creativity required. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Kevin De Bruyne - 7 out of 10 City's best performer, he troubled Everton down the left for long periods. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Raheem Sterling - 6 out of 10 Full of pace and energy, he should have had a first half penalty. Faded late on. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings David Silva - 6 out of 10 Typically slick in his movement, particularly in the first half, but was often crowded out by Everton's defence. Getty Images Everton vs Manchester City player ratings Sergio Aguero - 5 out of 10 Always lively in and outside of the box, but had few opportunities to strike and grew frustrated. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero's absence has affected City, and more recently his future with the club has been called into question. However, Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain - the most powerful people in the club’s football operations - have long insisted that Aguero will remain in Manchester until 2018 before returning to boyhood club Independiente. Those plans, as of Friday morning, had not changed.

With Gabriel Jesus’ arrival and a spotlight being shone by the ever-diligent Ian Herbert on how Man City are no longer as committed to helping their new signings embed, the next challenge begins for this club. The liaison team that has been shrunk by Guardiola’s request was originally set up at the end of the last decade after some worrying incidents involving new arrivals.

Many of City’s signings during that period were staying at the same city centre hotel in Manchester, with Robinho, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Benjani and Jo among the guests.

One week in the autumn of 2008, City’s Brazilian forward Jo, who had signed from CSKA Moscow, travelled with the squad for a Uefa Cup fixture on a trip to Cyprus that would last nearly all week.

Some days after his departure, hotel cleaning staff knocked on the door of his room and received no response, so they entered and were alarmed to discover Jo’s partner sobbing uncontrollably on the bed, a wad of cash on the desk and a floor littered with biscuit wrappers and empty drinks cans. Unable to speak English, she had been too scared to leave the room and had not eaten a proper meal since her partner had flown with the team.

Room service immediately ordered her sausages and mash and assigned a Portuguese-speaking member of staff to check on her periodically and be available for her every need, but the conclusion was inescapable – player welfare wasn’t being properly taken care of.

Robinho was among those who struggled to settle in Manchester (Getty Images)

With Mario Balotelli’s well-publicised wild days, City improved their liaison services but the recent streamlining is far from ideal with a teenage superstar arriving in town.

Gabriel Jesus can make an impact for Manchester City and has the talent to challenge Sergio Aguero as first-choice centre-forward but they must ensure he has the smoothest possible transition from life in Sao Paulo to the north-west of England.

A change in climate and culture that many players have struggled with, Gabriel Jesus will no doubt have some assistance in settling from fellow Lusophones Fernando and Fernandinho. But these are players that are 10 and 12 years older than him, more fatherly figures than social companions, and City must be careful with whom he surrounds himself if they are to get the best out of their new investment on the field.

Gabriel Jesus has all the talent, now City must get the best out of him (Getty Images)

Robinho, who never really adapted, spoke of “the distractions” of life in Manchester. “There is a cold like you have never felt,” he also complained.

But if City can look after Gabriel Jesus and he fulfils his potential in Manchester then they will have a global superstar that could not just make an impact in years to come but right now.