Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Italian midfielder Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea in a £12 million deal.
The Gunners have confirmed the arrival of the 31-year-old midfielder after he underwent a medical on Tuesday morning. Jorginho has signed an 18-month contract until the summer of 2024, although Arsenal do have an option to extend his stay by another year. The Premier League leaders will pay Chelsea an initial £10m for the Italy international, with a further £2m to be paid in add-ons further down the line.
In a statement, Chelsea paid tribute to their now-former midfielder, saying: “A leader on and off the pitch from the moment he arrived in west London from Napoli, Jorginho was coolness personified from the penalty spot with his trademark hop-skip technique.
“A friendly and funny guy off the pitch, Jorginho leaves Chelsea with 213 appearances to his name and four winners’ medals, none more precious than the 2021 Champions League success in which he played a major part. Good luck in the future, Jorgi!”
Arsenal turned to Jorginho after failing to agree a deal with Brighton for Moises Caicedo. The Gunners saw two bids knocked back by the Seagulls for the 21-year-old, with the latest totalling £70m.
Arsenal were determined to get a midfielder in before Tuesday night’s transfer deadline and Mikel Arteta is known to be a long-term admirer of Jorginho. But Gunners fans are understandably wary about doing business with Chelsea for ageing players, given the recent deals for the likes of Willian and David Luiz.
Jorginho is not the headline signing supporters were hoping for and it certainly goes against the profile of signing that Arsenal look to make nowadays. He is a very experienced player, however, and will provide much-needed cover for Thomas Partey over the second half of the season. And if he comes in and helps the Gunners go on and lift the Premier League title in May, few will question the wisdom of adding him to the squad at such a crucial time in the campaign.
Jorginho could make his debut for the Gunners on Saturday when they travel to Everton in the Premier League.
(Goal)
