Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on Chelsea midfielder Jorginho after conceding defeat in pursuit of Houssem Aouar.
According to a report by Sky Sports, Jorginho is the subject of interest from Arsenal over a possible late move ahead of Monday’s summer transfer window deadline. The Gunners have turned their attention towards the Chelsea midfielder after withdrawing their interest in Houssem Aouar, with the club looking take the Italian international on a loan.
Jorginho joined Chelsea in the summer of 2018, having following Maurizio Sarri from Napoli to the west London club in a matter of days. His maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, though, was one to forget, with the Italian international making a slow start to life in the Premier League. That all changed after the arrival of Frank Lampard, with Jorginho enjoying a solid first half of last term.
However, his situation at Chelsea seemed to have changed towards the end of 2019/20, with the player being used scarcely. As a result, it was speculated that Jorginho could be on his way out of the club when the summer transfer window opened, with Juventus initially showing an interest. Since then, that position seems to have changed, although Arsenal are hoping for a late swoop now.
Jorginho has featured prominently so far in the Premier League and is actually Chelsea’s top scorer in the early stages of the season, having netted a brace against Crystal Palace this weekend. Having said that, it will be interesting to see if the interest from Arsenal changes things.
Arsenal have been eager to bolster their midfield this summer, with Matteo Guendouzi and Mesut Ozil not in Mikel Arteta’s plans, while Lucas Torreira is set to join Atletico Madrid for the rest of the 2020/21 season on loan. That leaves the Arsenal boss with Joe Willock and Mohamed Elneny as the only other options beyond the first-choice duo of Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka.
Houssem Aouar had been Arsenal’s priority, with Thomas Partey also monitored this summer. The deal for the former, though, has collapsed, with negotiations between Arsenal and Lyon breaking down completely. Meanwhile, Partey is now being linked with a move to Chelsea instead.
Chelsea have been eager to get in a defensive midfielder, with Declan Rice their priority. ESPN have suggested that the Blues would be willing to let Jorginho leave if they manage to sign a replacement as Frank Lampard needs to reduce his squad size before Monday’s deadline. The report also claims that Arsenal want Jorginho on loan.
What now remains to be seen is if Arsenal are able to make rapid progress in pursuit of Jorginho. What will also be interesting to see is if Chelsea allow the Italian international to join their London rivals. The last couple of days of the window could make for intriguing viewing.
