Arsenal star admits he is already thinking of next transfer
Suraj Radia
- 16 Nov 2023 10:47 GMT
- 3 min read
Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has admitted he is keen on returning to Italy as his contract winds down, although he has insisted he still ‘has things to do’ with the Gunners.
The 31-year-old joined Arsenal in January for £12 million on an 18-month contract, which is due to expire at the end of the season, although there is believed to be an option to extend for a further year.
Jorginho has been a frequent feature in Mikel Arteta’s side, playing 23 times in the Premier League, and while only four of his nine appearances this season have been starts, the Italian has often been handed the captain’s armband in the absence of Martin Odegaard.
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Speaking while on international duty, Jorginho claimed he was still ‘very happy’ at Arsenal but revealed he was hoping to return to Italy one day, having left the country to join Chelsea in 2018.
He said: "I'm very much in doubt, I would like to return but I don't know when the right time would be. I want to return yes, but I don't know when, I feel I still have things to do at Arsenal.
“It always takes time when you change teams, but the first six months at Arsenal were not negative, on the contrary. Obviously, it takes time to understand the mechanisms better, Arteta gives you a billion pieces of information but I’m very happy there.”
Jorginho aiming to lead Italy to Euro 2024
Although born in Brazil, Jorginho has Italian ancestry and moved to the country as a teenager, joining Hellas Verona’s youth team in 2007 aged 15.
However it was at Napoli where he made his name, making more than 200 appearances for the club and earning his first cap for Italy in 2016 before a £57m move to Chelsea two years later.
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Despite his Brazilian heritage, Jorginho resisted calls to play for the country of his birth and instead expressed his desire to represent Italy, for whom he has made 48 appearances, scoring five times.
Jorginho on international duty 🇮🇹❤️ pic.twitter.com/qojV0cfNWE
— Mel (@MisssMelina) November 14, 2023
Jorginho is a part of Italy’s squad for their European Championship qualifiers against North Macedonia and Ukraine, with Luciano Spalletti’s side needing four points to secure automatic qualification for next summer’s tournament.
