Arsenal, the current Premier League leaders, announced the signing of experienced Italian midfielder Jorginho from London rivals Chelsea on Tuesday. The agreement is for an 18-month contract.
The financial details of the transfer have not been made public. However, British media reported that the deal is worth 12 million pounds. Mikel Arteta, the head coach of Arsenal, praised Jorginho, calling him a “midfield player with intelligence, deep leadership skills, and a huge amount of Premier League and international experience.”
Arteta added, “Jorginho has achieved success in his career but still has a strong desire to contribute at Arsenal. We are thrilled to have him join the club and his family.”
Arsenal, who are currently 5 points ahead of defending champions Manchester City in the title race, were in need of midfield reinforcements, particularly due to the injury of Mohamed Elneny, who will be out for “an extended period of time” with a knee injury that requires surgery.
Jorginho, born in Brazil, brings a wealth of experience to Arsenal in their title pursuit, having won the Champions League with Chelsea and the 2020 European Championship with Italy. The 31-year-old has been an important player for Chelsea this season, having appeared in 25 games across all competitions. Jorginho’s impressive resume also includes the Europa League, three FA Cups, and two League Cups, all won in over 200 appearances for Chelsea since his transfer from Napoli in July 2018.
Jorginho spent 4 and a half years at Napoli and had a breakthrough season in 2017-2018, where he played a crucial role in their title challenge, ultimately finishing as runners-up.
Arsenal made a last-minute bid for Jorginho after two offers for Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo were turned down by Brighton & Hove Albion.
Arsenal will play their next league match on Saturday against Everton, who are currently 19th in the league and recently appointed Sean Dyche as manager in an effort to secure their top-flight status.
(Note: $1 is equivalent to 0.8118 pounds)
