OFFICIAL: Jorginho swaps Chelsea for Arsenal

There has been a surprise move on the final day of the winter transfer window. Arsenal have moved quickly to strengthen their midfield for the Premier League title race and have managed to secure a star signing.

The Gunners have agreed a last-minute deal with Chelsea for Jorginho, one of the Blues' key players. The 31-year-old Italian playmaker will sign a contract with Arteta's side until 2024 with an option for a further year and Graham Potter's side will receive £12m for his transfer. 

The role of Spaniard Mikel Arteta in the negotiations between the two clubs is reported to have been key to the player's arrival. In addition, Arsenal went all out for the Italian as their first choice to reinforce their midfield was Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, however, due to the Seagulls' refusal to sell their rising star, the Emirates Stadium outfit went for the Chelsea player. 

In this way, Jorginho leaves Chelsea having made history. The former Napoli player joined the English club in the 2018/2019 season, and leaves after having played 213 official matches, scoring 29 goals and providing 8 assists. Furthermore, it could be said that the midfielder's career at the club has been quite successful, being crowned Champions League champion in 2020/2021, as well as winning the Europa League title in 2018/2019 and the UEFA Super Cup in 2021. 

The international with Italy joins Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table on 50 points, five points ahead of City and with a game in hand. On the other side, Chelsea sit 10th with 29 points after a poor season so far and will be looking to make up for that by qualifying for next season's Champions League.

 

January 31, 2023