Barcelona and Juventus are reportedly interested in signing veteran Italian playmaker Jorginho from Arsenal in the upcoming January transfer window.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona and Juventus are eyeing up a move for 31-year-old Arsenal playmaker Jorginho, who decided to stay put at the Emirates despite late interest from Fenerbahce before the closure of the Turkish transfer market.
The Gunners only signed Jorginho from Chelsea in a £12 million deal back in January. And he has made a positive start to life at the Emirates. He went on to make 16 appearances for Arsenal in the second half of last season as they fell short in their surprise Premier League title charge. But he has not been a regular starter this term.
The 31-year-old only signed an 18-month contract upon his arrival at Arsenal, with the option of a further year, as all parties were aware that it would be a short-term partnership.
A return to Serie A and a reunion with former Napoli and Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri at Lazio was heavily mooted for Jorginho during the early stages of the summer transfer window, as he wanted regular game time ahead of the Azzurri’s potential Euro 2024 campaign. However, they never really made a concrete move for Jorginho, and the European window slammed shut.
Turkish giants Fenerbahce also expressed interest in his services and were determined to get a deal over the line more recently, though his agent Joao Santos later shut down talks of an exit for the moment.
Mikel Arteta will be quite pleased that Jorginho will be staying at Arsenal, as he will need plenty of depth over a long and difficult season, especially now that they are back in the Champions League. In addition the Africa Cup of Nations will hamper the availability of Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey in January.
However, it is now being claimed that the 31-year-old may consider leaving North London in the upcoming winter transfer market after seeing his minutes diminish in the early exchanges of the new, playing just 18 minutes in the opening four Premier League games.
The midfield orchestrator will look for a change of scenery, with Barcelona and Juventus the front-runners for his signature when the transfer market reopens in January. Barcelona, for one, want to reinforce the pivot midfield position in the winter.
After bidding goodbye to Sergio Busquets in the summer, Barcelona signed Oriol Romeu to plug the hole but want another player for the position, even though Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan are capable of filling the slot if needed.
Renowned for his exceptional vision, passing range, and ability to dictate tempo, Jorginho could be the perfect fit for Xavi’s possession-based style of play at Camp Nou. Juventus, meanwhile, are said to be scouring the market for a potential replacement for star midfielder Paul Pogba, who is currently under investigation for alleged doping breaches and will likely face an extended period on the sidelines.
Jorginho comes with a wealth of experience and offers guile in the engine room, making him a viable candidate for Massimiliano Allegri’s side. But the Serie A giants have also shown interest in Jorginho’s Arsenal teammate Partey.
