Arsenal are closing in on a sensational deadline-day move for Chelsea midfielder Jorginho.
The Gunners have agreed to £12million for the 31-year-old Italian, who is set to sign an 18-month contract with the option to extend it by a further year.
Jorginho is expected at Arsenal’s training ground today to undergo a medical and finalise his move.
Arsenal have been desperate to sign a midfielder this month to strengthen their title bid.
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Mohamed Elneny is out with a knee injury and Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen that area.
Arsenal had been working to sign Moises Caicedo but Brighton insisted the Ecuador international was not for sale after rejected two bids worth up to £70m.
The Gunners have considered several other targets, including Amadou Onana, Martin Zubimendi and Youri Tielemans, but they have swooped for Jorginho.
Relegation-threatened Everton have been reluctant to sell Onana this month.
Zubimendi, meanwhile, did not want to leave his boyhood club Real Sociedad during the middle of one of their best ever seasons in La Liga.
Leicester had no desire to sell Tielemans, who is into the final six months of his contract, because they feel he could play a big role in ensuring they avoid relegation.
Arteta is a long-term fan of Jorginho and was interested in him back in 2020.
Manchester City also looked at signing the Euro 2020 winner when Arteta was working as an assistant there.
Of Arsenal’s midfield targets, Jorginho proved the most feasible to do on deadline day as he is into the final six months of his contract at Chelsea.
The Blues have happy to let him go now instead of losing him for free in the summer, while it also clears a space in their squad for the possible signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
