Arsenal have agreed a deal with Premier League rivals Chelsea to sign midfielder Jorginho, football.london understands.
The move will be worth £10million in guaranteed fees with a further £2million in add-ons as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad depth following a stellar start to the season that currently sees the Gunners first in the league standings. The Italian international, who will sign a contract at the Emirates Stadium until summer 2024, with the club holding the option of an extra year, has already been lauded by Arteta during the Spaniard's 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.
"Few people read the game alone, those who anticipate scenarios, who are mentally stable, who can be a coach in the field, in the case of Xabi Alonso or Xavi Hernandez."
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