Jorginho to Arsenal: Genius from Arteta, mistake by Chelsea

James Shearman

• Updated: 31 Jan 2023 16:25 GMT
• 3 min read

Jorginho will leave Chelsea in a £12 million deal to Arsenal on transfer deadline day.

The two clubs have agreed on a small fee as the midfielder's contract at Stamford Bridge was due to expire in the summer.

Jorginho had not been offered a new deal, with Chelsea preferring to extend N'golo Kante's stay.

READ MORE: January 2022-23 done deals

The Italy international will now sign for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal on an 18-month contract, with an option of a further year.

The Premier League leaders turned their attention to Jorginho after a potential club-record move for Brighton's Moises Caicedo broke down.

The Seagulls wanted well in excess of the £70 million Arsenal were prepared of pay for the 21-year-old.

Good news for Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is said to be a big fan of Jorginho and personally requested his signing.

The Spaniard believes that Jorginho’s quality and experience will help the north London club win their first league title since 2004.

As Arsenal enter the latter stage of the season, the 31-year-old's calming influence could certainly be a huge asset to a team full of youngsters.

The signing also offers excellent squad depth, allowing Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka to be rotated.

The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League, five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand, offering Champions League and European Championship winner Jorginho the chance to add more silverware to his collection.

Bad news for Chelsea

Jorginho joined Chelsea from Napoli in 2018 for €64m and made 213 appearances, scoring 29 goals.

He played a pivotal role in the club winning the Champions League in 2021, and also picked up a Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Despite his success, he has never been a huge hit with Chelsea fans, but perhaps he will be appreciated more in the coming months.

The Blues have brought in plenty of new faces in the January window and experienced heads will be called upon to help them settle.

Jorginho was not only a respected member of the Chelsea dressing room, but a player that settles nerves on the pitch.

With the likes of Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke roaming in the final third, Jorginho's disciplinary in the centre of the pitch will be missed.

Not only that, it looks as though Chelsea will miss out on top target Enzo Fernandez, leaving them light in the midfield area.