Arsenal approach Chelsea for transfer of 31-year-old star: Reports

Arsenal have reportedly approached Chelsea for the signing of Jorginho. The Gunners have been unsuccessful so far in their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Mikel Arteta’s side have made contact with the Blues over 31-year-old Jorginho. He is an option if Brighton continue to reject Arsenal’s advances for 22-year-old Caicedo.

The Stamford Bridge giants are ready to clear the Italian midfielder’s departure. However, they want a reasonable fee for the player with just six months on the contract.

Arsenal were keen to sign Caicedo but saw a £70m bid rejected for the player. The Seagulls are adamant he won’t be leaving Amex Stadium this month, according to Sky Sports News. However, Caicedo left a transfer request on his Instagram account, asking Brighton to allow him a dream move.

The Gunners are looking to bolster their midfield options as they chase their first Premier League title since 2004. The January transfer window closes tomorrow (January 31) so Arteta is keen to make a midfield addition before the deadline. Jorginho would arrive at the Emirates Stadium with vast experience.

The Italian made 213 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 29 goals and providing nine assists. He won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.

However, Graham Potter’s side are also on the hunt for a new midfielder and have set their sights on Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez. They have reportedly made a £105million bid for the Argentina midfielder.

Jorginho has had an injury-plagued campaign, scoring three goals in 25 games in all competitions. The Italian has been in the Premier League since 2018 when he joined Chelsea from Napoli.

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Jorginho admits he almost left Chelsea for Arsenal in 2020

It’s not the first time Arsenal have been interested in signing Jorginho, as they were looking to do so in 2020. A move never happened, with the Gunners signing Thomas Partey from Atletico instead. Madrid.

However, the Italian admitted back then that he was open to negotiations but decided to stay at Chelsea. He told ESPN Brazil:

“I believe that every player is open to negotiations. So I believe there was something they talked about. And in the end it was decided that I would stay here.”

He added:

“Now my head is here and we’re going to do a great job with Chelsea, which is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Jorginho lifted the Champions League the following season with the Blues, won the UEFA European Championships with Italy and finished third in the 2021 Ballon d’Or table.