Chelsea’s Jorginho Transfer Fate Decided, As Arsenal Eyes Deadline Day Move
Chelsea is willing to sell midfielder Jorginho on transfer deadline day, as Arsenal is interested in bringing him to north London.
Mikel Arteta is eager to sign a new midfielder before the January transfer window closes on Tuesday evening, but Arsenal are unable to reach an agreement with Moises Caicedo, their top target.
Brighton has rejected two offers from Arsenal worth between £60m and £70m for the Ecuador international, and the Gunners are now resigned to losing out.
However, if a deal for Caicedo fails to materialize, Arsenal will still attempt to bolster Arteta’s midfield options before the transfer deadline by focusing on Jorginho.
Since joining Chelsea from Napoli in 2018, Italy international Jorginho has made over 200 appearances, winning the Champions League and Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Jorginho is highly regarded at Chelsea, but at age 31 and with his contract set to expire in the summer, the club is reluctant to offer him a new contract.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea would rather sell Jorginho in January than let him leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
The opportunity to raise funds also appeals to Chelsea’s leadership as they pursue Enzo Fernandez in a potentially record-breaking deal.
Chelsea reportedly made a bid of £115 million for the Benfica and Argentina midfielder, putting Fernandez on the verge of becoming the most expensive Premier League player ever.
Jorginho has been a reliable midfielder for Chelsea, but former Blues star Frank Leboeuf believes he has reached the end of his career and should be released.
“Jorginho has served the club very well but he’s nowhere near it anymore,” Leboeuf wrote in a column for Chelsea News earlier in the month.
“I had my time at Chelsea and people made it clear that John Terry was coming and I had to make way for him, and that’s understandable. That’s life.
“There is a present and there is a past, and the future is not for us. You have to accept that.
“I do like the way Jorginho plays, but he’s too slow when he has the ball, and defensively he doesn’t participate enough for me.”
Under Todd Boehly, the Blues have spent more than £450 million on new signings, but the additions have not had an immediate impact. Chelsea are currently 10th in the Premier League, 10 points behind the top-four teams.
Arsenal has won 16 of their 20 league games this season to move five points clear atop the English Premier League.
Chelsea’s Jorginho Transfer Fate Decided, As Arsenal Eyes Deadline Day Move
