Jorginho could leave Arsenal in January amid concrete interest from Barcelona, with the Italian’s contract expiring at the end of the season.
According to Calcio Mercato Web, Barcelona could have a strong chance of signing Jorginho with the 31-year-old Arsenal star’s contract expiring next summer. The Italian midfielder is also not an automatic starter under Mikel Arteta, but his importance in the squad could see the Gunners fight to keep him.
Jorginho made a surprise move across London as he joined Arsenal from Chelsea last January. The Gunners paid a decent fee of around £10-12 million and added some much-needed midfield depth to their squad. In the early part of the current campaign, the 31-year-old has made himself useful as a bench option amid Thomas Partey’s injury.
Irrespective of when the Ghanaian returns to action, Jorginho has a set role in Mikel Arteta’s squad, and he’s executing it properly so far. Arsenal added Declan Rice in the summer as their blockbuster signing, but that has not diminished the Italian midfielder’s presence.
In fact, with games coming thick and fast, the 31-year-old Arsenal star’s experience will carry much more value in the team. Arteta will certainly hand Jorginho many starts despite only using him from the bench so far in this campaign.
Jorginho decided to stay at Arsenal despite increasing interest from Fenerbahce. The midfielder knows his place in the squad and is a well-respected member of Arteta’s squad. He wanted to remain with the team on his own accord, as reports suggested the Gunners could have cashed in had they received a good offer.
In fact, Arsenal had decided to keep him at the club as they were aware of the growing interest. There are other clubs in the mix, and things could get interesting as the January window approaches. Juventus are keen to bring him back to Serie A, and so are Barcelona.
The interest from Barcelona and Juventus will carry some weight on Jorginho’s mind, irrespective of Arsenal’s stance. The Gunners could allow his departure if they can secure a solid replacement in the next window, but they will have to invest significantly to get that player.
Barcelona are one of the clubs growing in confidence about signing the experienced 31-year-old Arsenal star. The report emphasised on Jorginho’s contract, which expires in the summer, which could force the Gunners to accept an offer close to €7-8 million.
Hence, there’s every chance for Jorginho to depart, as Barcelona’s interest could prove important. However, Arteta might look to keep him at the club, especially if Arsenal are in an important position in every competition, including the Premier League and Champions League.
