Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal have no plans to offload two of their top stars, despite the exit speculation being rife around both players.
It’s no secret that the Gunners will look to add to their squad over the summer and while some players could depart, Arteta seems determined to keep the likes of Jorginho and Gabriel Jesus around.
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In the case of Jorginho, the Italian star had been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Juventus, but the club now plans on keeping him around for the foreseeable future.
As reported by The Athletic, the Gunners have offered the veteran midfielder a new deal and he is expected to sign it.
The Italian midfielder joined Arsenal last year for a fee of £12m and he’s certainly proven his worth throughout the campaign so far.
During Arteta’s latest press conference, the Arsenal boss spoke highly of Jorginho and clearly stated where he sits on the matter.
“We want Jorginho to stay with us and he’s aware of our desire, our plan,” Arteta said.
“I would love to keep him. He knows that. The club is fully supportive of that so we hope to continue with Jorgi.”
While Jorginho looks set to stay in north London, the club are still keen to bolster their options in this position. Indeed, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes is a player that the Gunners believe they can sign this summer.
Arteta blocks Jesus exit
Along with keeping Jorginho around, Arteta also plans on keeping Jesus, despite the Brazilian striker being linked with a move away from the Emirates in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, a report from The Athletic claimed that Arsenal would be prepared to listen to offers for Jesus and the Brazilian has since been linked with Inter Milan.
However, despite the reported interest from Italy, Arteta has confirmed his stance on the striker and has claimed the club has no plans to sell him.
“I don’t know where reports about Gabriel Jesus exit are coming from,” Arteta told reporters when discussing Jesus.
“We have no intention of letting Gabriel leave.”
Jesus himself also has no plans to leave the club as the frontman is reportedly ‘very settled’ in North London and has ‘no intention of leaving.’
Since arriving at the Emirates in 2022 for £45m, the Brazilian has had his ups and downs at the club. His link-up play is invaluable to Arteta’s side, although his erratic finishing has perhaps let him down at times.
Regardless of what happens with Jesus, Arsenal are expected to sign a new striker in the summer with Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee currently among their top targets.
“They already know if they want to [sign a striker] or not,” Jesus told reporters when discussing his role at the club.
“Maybe this question is not for me but for them. My job is to try to work, train hard, improve what I have to improve and help Arsenal win games and after win trophies.
“The speculation will always be there, not only here but every club. People want to decide who the club wants to sign. This is not just happening at Arsenal but a lot of clubs.”
