As first revealed by FootballTransfers all the way back in September 2023, Mikel Arteta was desperate to keep the Italian midfielder around until at least 2025. Jorginho’s deal was due to expire this summer and he had no shortage of options.
Clubs in Italy and Saudi Arabia were keen on the 32-year-old, with the player himself admitting while being pranked on an Italian TV show that he would be open to a lucrative switch to the Middle East.
However, in the end, Arsenal prevailed and managed to extend the midfielder’s deal by a further season. It has been quite an exciting 18 months for the former Chelsea man since heading to north London.
Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal paid a little over €11 million to secure his services from the Blues in January 2023. Jorginho had been deemed past his best and it was claimed that his legs had fully gone, with his athleticism having never been his strong suit in the first place.
Jorginho proves doubters wrong
However, almost a year and a half later, it is fair to say that signing the Italian has proved to be another shrewd piece of business by Arteta and sporting director Edu.
Jorginho has gone from looking like a mere depth signing at best to being a valuable member of the squad and someone who is adored by his coach due to the stability and control he offers.
Assured in possession, Jorginho is an eminently intelligent player who, at his advanced age, is fully aware of what he is and isn’t capable of. He keeps things simple and ensures that Arsenal’s play ticks over.
Though not a guaranteed starter at all times given some of the more, shall we say, mobile talent at Arteta’s disposal, Jorginho is clearly a player the Spaniard trusts.
The signing of the veteran and now his extension once again hammer home the stark difference in how Arsenal and Chelsea are run. The Blues have often looked like a team devoid of experience and leadership this season.
It is hard to believe that the Italian couldn’t have been useful to the Blues this term especially when taking into account that they only received a relatively insignificant fee for him.
Having someone with the pedigree and cool head of Jorginho during those phases of the campaign when the midfield of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez was getting torn to shreds could have been invaluable.
Of course, we can only speculate on how Chelsea’s season would have panned out with Jorginho still in their team, but it is clear that Arsenal got the better of the Blues in the January transfer window in 2023.
While Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard and Jorginho for a combined €35m, Chelsea splashed €220m on Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez. The former are now challenging for the Premier League, the latter are struggling to get into Europe.
