Arsenal have confirmed the deadline day signing of Jorginho from Chelsea.
The former Napoli star was identified as an alternative for Brighton ’s Moises Caicedo with Mikel Arteta keen to add to his midfield options before the end of the January transfer window. The two clubs have agreed a fee of £12m for Jorginho’s signature and he has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Gunners.
Chelsea posted a farewell to the Champions League-winning midfielder, who joined the club in 2018, before Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta explained in Arsenal's announcement the attributes which made him keen to add him to his side. Arteta said: “Jorginho is a midfield player with intelligence, deep leadership skills and a huge amount of Premier League and international experience.
"Jorginho has won in his career, but he still has the hunger and huge willingness to contribute here. We are so pleased to sign Jorginho and welcome him and his family to the club.”
The Gunners' sporting director Edu added: “Jorginho is an established professional with a strong mentality who brings quality and experience into our squad.
"He is a player who fits our style of play, and he joins us at a very good moment where he can contribute in a key position to help maintain our momentum. We welcome Jorginho to Arsenal."
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Jorginho’s move to Arsenal brings to an end a hugely successful spell with Chelsea. Despite a tricky first season having arrived from Napoli for £50m back in 2018, he played a key role for the Blues as they lifted the Europa League title under Maurizio Sarri.
The Italian has added the Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the Champions League to that collection - the Italian having gone on to make 213 appearances for the Blues. He has remained as a key player for the London side this season with 25 appearances and three goals, whilst he has also captained Chelsea on a number of occasions.
The Blues though have made the decision to cash-in on him with his contract set to expire in the summer. He would have been able to leave Chelsea on a free transfer by then with the likes of Barcelona and Newcastle having been linked with a swoop for his services in the past.
He has now become a Gunner though and follows former teammates Willian and David Luiz in making the move to the Emirates Stadium. He could potentially be given the opportunity to play for his new employers sooner rather than later.
Arsenal take on struggling Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday - the Toffees set to be under the management of Sean Dyche for the first time.
