Arsenal have sprung a surprise once again on deadline day and this time it is leading to a mixed reaction.
With so much effort going into the possible signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton, Arsenal managed no breakthrough and have now agreed a deal to sign 31-year-old Jorginho from Chelsea, for a fee of up to £12million.
A crucial element of how this deal will be judged is the length of contract. It is being widely reported that Arsenal have agreed to just an 18 month deal with the option for the club to extend by one year if they would like.
David Ornstein, a reliable reporter from The Athletic is one of many to report both the fee of £12million and the contract length.
The Daily Mail suggest £10million of that is fixed and it could rise to £12million with add ons.
Jorginho is an experienced player that boss Mikel Arteta has always admired.
Back in summer 2020 Arsenal wanted two of: Partey, Aouar, and Jorginho. They ended up with just one in Partey but Jorginho was not simply a back-up option — he is greatly admired by Arsenal’s technical staff, including Arteta [The Athletic – 2020].
Jorginho has the ability to play both in Partey and Xhaka’s role, something boss Mikel Arteta had clearly asked for from potential new recruits in the final days.
Mohammed Elneny is thought to be injured for most of the season, so Jorginho’s arrival would help to provide more depth in the midfield.
Jorginho, who has 46 caps for Italy and 143 games for Chelsea, brings with him significant experience, but Arsenal fans will be concerned that his age and recent performances suggest the impact he may now have is minimal and more of an insurance signing.
His ability on the ball is unquestioned though and you can see a scenario where Jorginho comes off the bench in winning positions to help the Gunners see out games.
Jorginho has been a mainstay in this Chelsea team this season, starting 15 Premier League games.