Arsenal have agreed a deal with fellow Premier League side Chelsea to sign midfielder Jorginho, football.london understands.
The former Napoli star will arrive in north London for £10million in guaranteed fees with a further £2million in add-ons, signing a contract until summer 2024, with the club holding the option of an extra year. Mikel Arteta has previously made it no secret of his admiration for the Italian international during his time as assistant coach with Manchester City.
When asked about City's pursuit of Rodri back in 2019, Arteta replied: "I do not get into names, but our ‘six’ must understand our game. It is vital.
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"He is the one that makes everyone work, the one that frees those in front, the one who finds superiority, the one who sets the pace." The young coach was then quizzed on what midfielders in particular he rates, naming Jorginho and Barcelona icon Sergio Busquets as two examples.
"Our position has changed a lot," he added. "There are already few teams that want to play with a single defensive midfielder, holding the whole game.
"I'm not talking about City, but in other teams that role is not as defined and we are losing the idea of having one who plays there – the Jorginho type, that I love, or the Busquets type. Rodri? He closely resembles what 'Busi' is."
Arsenal's dressing room echoes their manager's sentiment, according to The Athletic, who have reported that the news of Jorginho's arrival has been met with significant excitement from both players and coaching staff. They are said to be pleased to see an experienced player that has won some of football's top prizes join as they look to bring the Gunners their first Premier League title since 2004.
Arteta's side are currently first in the table, five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who have also played an extra league match this term. Arsenal will host the Citizens at the Emirates Stadium on February 15 before travelling to the Etihad at the end of April for the corresponding fixture.
City recorded a narrow 1-0 victory over the north Londoners last week in the fourth round of the FA Cup, although the likes of William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli all started on the Gunners bench.
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