Jorginho has already proven to be a popular figure in the Arsenal squad following his £12million January move from Chelsea. The Italy international joined on an initial 18-month contract to help provide first-choice holding Thomas Partey with some competition following Mohamed Elneny's long-term injury.
Gunners captain Martin Odegaard has already given a glowing verdict of Jorginho following his arrival as he aims to help the north London outfit lift their first Premier League title since 2004. The 31-year-old midfielder compared Mikel Arteta to his former manager Maurizio Sarri after completing a move to the Emirates Stadium due to their obsession with attention to details - something Jorginho is relishing at Arsenal.
The Gunners had pursued a deal for Moises Caicedo from Brighton before turning their attention to Jorginho after having two bids rejected for the Ecuador international. Chelsea's pursuit and eventual signing of Enzo Fernandez would have left the Italian on the fringes of Graham Potter's squad allowing Arsenal to capitalise on his availability and secure his services in a cut-price deal.
READ MORE: Jorginho makes Chelsea feelings clear with recent Arsenal Instagram post
Jorginho had revealed how a phone call with Arteta helped convince him that a move to north London was the right choice for him, rather than waiting until the summer when he would have become a free agent. During an interview with DAZN, via Football Italia the 31-year-old said: “It’s one of the reasons, surely.
“He [Arteta] called me and it was all very quick, we made the deal in less than 48 hours. I had spoken to Chelsea and I knew I was no longer part of their plans.
"I wanted to progress in my career and the Arsenal project suits me. It’s a young team that plays good football and fits my characteristics.
"I considered every scenario and made the decision. Sometimes you must accept when you are out of a project and that things come to an end.”
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Italy international’s agent, Joao Santos, detailed how the Gunners were able to quickly wrap up the deal because of a stance taken by the Blues. Santos said: “Two days before the transfer market closed, we saw that Chelsea worked to sign Enzo Fernandez.
"Edu Gaspar wanted the boy [Jorginho] and so we made it happen. A new project - he did very well at Chelsea, winning a lot as a team and personally.”
When he left Chelsea, the midfielder had less than six months left on his contract. Had the former Napoli star failed to get a move away from the Bridge, he could have returned to Serie A in the summer.
When asked if he had any requests from Italy for Jorginho, Santos explained: “Not for January. We had talked to some teams for July.”
Jorginho has already helped fill the void left by Thomas Partey after he suffered a muscle injury that sidelined him for a week. The Italy international is now hoping that he can help Arsenal lift the Premier League title and Europa League to finish the season by making history at his new club.
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