Jamie O’Hara believes Arsenal are securing a ‘good signing’ with a deadline day transfer for Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. The Gunners and Blues have agreed on a fee for the Italy star.
Arsenal have moved to sign a new option for Mikel Arteta’s side having just lost Mohamed Elneny to an injury. The Gunners have confirmed that the 30-year-old suffered a significant issue to his right knee in training. He has undergone surgery and faces a lengthy spell out.
Arteta has also had to make do without Thomas Partey at stages this season due to a thigh injury. But the 29-year-old appears to have avoided a rib injury from their FA Cup defeat at Manchester City. Yet Albert Sambi Lokonga is set to join Crystal Palace on loan, per 90min.
Lokonga also going after Elneny’s injury will leave Partey and Granit Xhaka as Arteta’s only natural deep-lying operators. So, Arsenal have sought a transfer with Chelsea for Jorginho after failing to agree on terms with Brighton & Hove Albion over a deal for Moises Caicedo.
Reports by The Guardian note that Arsenal will pay Chelsea an upfront £10m for Jorginho’s transfer. The north London club could end up paying their west London rivals £12m for the 31-year-old after add-ons. While he will get a contract to 2024 with an optional extra year.
Arsenal are set to secure a deadline day transfer with Chelsea for Jorginho
Chelsea are happy to sell Jorginho to Arsenal as the transfer will secure the Blues a fee for a midfielder out of contract this June. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy afforded the 46-cap star a five-year deal worth £110k-a-week to join from Napoli for £50m, rising to £57m, in 2018.
Now, he should arrive at Emirates Stadium as Arteta strives to see the Gunners win a first Premier League title since 2003/04. Arsenal sit at the top of the table with a club-record 50 points in 19 games. They are also five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand.
O’Hara, though, accepts that the midfielder is not a perfect fit for the way that Arsenal are playing under Arteta. But the former Tottenham Hotspur ace believes the deal is a good fit for the Gunners as he will now add further title-winning experience to the Spaniard’s side.
“I think it’s a good signing,” O’Hara said on Sky Sports News (31/01, 14:15). “I know a lot of people talked about, maybe, he’s a bit slow for how they play and Arsenal’s style.
Jorginho ‘is going to bring you success’ as Arteta strives to win the Premier League
“But, for me, he’s a Champions League winner, he’s great on the ball, he doesn’t give the ball away, he’ll keep it moving. And the fact that they’ve lost Elneny, Partey’s picked up injuries. You’re bringing in a player who is going to bring you success.
“He knows how to win, he’s won big trophies and I think it’s a good signing, I really do. You can’t fault Arteta in terms of the players he’s brought in and the impact they’ve had.
“I think he looked at it and thought we need someone, it’s a reinforcement, he’s not going to cost too much money and we’re going to get him in and he does strengthen the squad. He makes the squad better.”
Jorginho has won the 2018/19 Europa League and 2020/21 Champions League at Chelsea. He also helped Italy win Euro 2020 and UEFA later named the Imbituba, Brazil-born star as the winner of its Player of the Year Award for the 2020/21 term ahead of Kevin De Bruyne.
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