Jorginho completed a £12m move from Chelsea to Arsenal in January, joining Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior on arrival at the Emirates Stadium
Jorginho has already proved to be a popular fixture in the Arsenal squad following his £12m move in January from Chelsea. The Italy international has signed an initial 18-month deal to help secure Thomas Partey’s starting place in some competition following Mohamed Elneny’s long-term injury.
Gunners captain Martin Odegaard has already given a glowing verdict on Jorginho upon his arrival, aiming to help the north London side clinch their first Premier League title since 2004. The 31-year-old midfielder compared Mikel Arteta to his former manager Maurizio Sarri after completing a move to the Emirates Stadium due to his obsession with attention to detail – something Jorginho is relishing at Arsenal.
The Gunners sought a deal for Moises Caicedo from Brighton before turning their attention to Jorginho after having two offers rejected by the Ecuadorian international. Chelsea’s pursuit and eventual signing of Enzo Fernandez would have left the Italian on the sidelines of Graham Potter’s side, allowing Arsenal to capitalize on his availability and secure his services on a reduced price deal.
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Jorginho had revealed how a phone call with Arteta helped convince him that a move to north London was the right choice for him rather than waiting until the summer when he would become a free agent. Speaking to DAZN via Football Italia, the 31-year-old said: “It’s one of the reasons for sure.
“He [Arteta] called me and everything was very fast, we closed the deal in less than 48 hours. I had spoken to Chelsea and I knew I was no longer part of their plans.
“I wanted to progress in my career and Arsenal’s project suits me. It’s a young team that plays good football and fits my characteristics.
“I considered all the scenarios and made the decision. Sometimes you have to accept it when you’re out of a project and things come to an end.”
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Italian international’s agent, João Santos, detailed how the Gunners managed to close the deal quickly because of a stance taken by the Blues. Santos said: “Two days before the transfer market closed, we saw that Chelsea worked to sign Enzo Fernandez.
“Edu Gaspar wanted the boy [Jorginho] and so we maaaaade it happen. A new project – he did very well at Chelsea, winning a lot as a team and personally.”
Upon leaaaaaving Chelsea, the midfielder had less than six months left on his contract. If the former Napoli star hadn’t been able to walk away from the bridge, he could have returned to Serie A in the summer.
Asked if he had any requests from Italy for Jorginho, Santos explained: “Not for January. We talked to some teams for July.
Jorginho has already helped to fill the gap left by Thomas Partey after suffering a muscle injury thaaaaat sidelined him for a week. The Italian international now hopes he can help Arsenal to the Premier League and Europa League title to end the season making history at his new club.