Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has no intention of leaving north London this summer despite a difficult first season at the Emirates Stadium.
The 31-year-old changed allegiances in England’s capital last January, leaving Chelsea for the Gunners in a deal worth around £12 million.
He made 19 Premier League appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side in the second half of last season, albeit ten came off the bench.
With Arsenal fighting tooth and nail to secure the signing of West Ham United captain Declan Rice, Jorginho’s brief spell at the Emirates seemed to be nearing an untimely end.
But the former Napoli playmaker has quashed talks linking him with a summer exit, insisting he’s happy to stay and fancy his chances under Arteta.
“I’m very happy to stay at Arsenal, to be honest,” Jorginho told the Evening Standard.
“Those rumours, I’m not sure who was behind it, to be honest, but nothing at the moment has happened to me.
“I’m quite happy where I am.”
He also took stock of Arsenal’s busted attempt to dethrone perennial champions Manchester City, who hauled back an eight-point deficit to win the title for the third time on the trot.
“That (missing out on the title) was painful,” he added. “Of course, at the beginning of the season, no one expected Arsenal to be where they were.
“Anyone at the beginning of the season would sign off that you are going to finish the league in second.
“Everyone would say straight away: ‘Yes’.
“But then once you are there and fighting for it, then it’s a bit frustrating and painful.”
However, Jorginho urged his Arsenal teammates to learn a valuable lesson, hailing the club’s return to the Champions League after a lengthy eight-year absence.
“I think we will have a lot to learn about everything we do and it’s a lesson,” he said.
“I hope we can do even better next year. It’s been a while [since Arsenal have been in the Champions League].
“Everyone is very excited. Everyone can’t wait to play with the ball with the stars. It’s going to be an exciting season for sure.”
Jorginho’s statement followed up his agent’s words from yesterday.
In an interview with TV Play, his entourage Joao Santos categorically denied recent speculation linking the deep-lying midfielder with a move to Lazio.
“It’s not about the interest of Lazio or their budget. I can confirm that Jorginho is very happy at Arsenal,” Santos said.
“In our plans, it’s only Arsenal for next season. No negotiations with Lazio.”
So with Jorginho expected to stay, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey could both be free to go, provided the Gunners’ relentless effort to prise Rice away from West Ham comes to fruition.
Arteta is desperate to strengthen in central midfield, looking to close the gap on Man City following a heartbreaking defeat in an enthralling title race last term.
