Arsenal close to reaching agreement for Jorginho

Arsenal are on the verge of reaching an agreement with Chelsea over a deal for Jorginho, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

A fee of around £12 million has been mooted for Jorginho, while an 18-month contract with the option of a further year has been offered to the 31-year-old.

The Gunners are looking to bring in a new midfielder amid injury concerns over Thomas Partey, who was hauled off in Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round against Manchester City.

Mohamed Elneny is also currently sidelined with an injury which has seen him play just five league games this term, leaving Albert Sambi Lokonga as Arsenal’s only cover in the holding midfield role.

Arsenal have already had two bids rejected for prime target Moises Caicedo, and a third offer looks highly unlikely at this stage.

As a result, the north Londoners have now turned their attention to Jorginho as the current window reaches its final knockings.

Jorginho has just six months left on his Chelsea deal and the Blues are open to letting him leave before he becomes a free agent next summer.

However, the Italian international’s move to Arsenal hinges majorly on Chelsea’s success in their pursuit of Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez, for whom a mammoth offer has been tabled over the last couple of hours.

If his switch to the Emirates Stadium goes through, Jorginho would become Arsenal’s third January addition following the earlier arrival of Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior.

With four more days before Arsenal take on relegation-threatened Everton in their next outing, Jorginho could make his debut at Goodison Park this weekend.

Off the back of an impressive first half of the 2022-23 Premier League season, Arsenal are top of the pile, five points clear of defending champions Manchester City with a game in hand.