Jorginho may not have been top of Mikel Arteta’s January shopping list but he’s a player who the manager has long admired and one he feels can bring vital experience to his title-challenging squad.
Arsenal sealed the signing of the Italy international on deadline day, luring the midfielder from Chelsea for £12 million on an 18-month contract.
In the absence of the injured Mohamed Elneny, the 31-year-old will initially provide backup to Thomas Partey but could well earn game time in both the Premier League and Europa League as the season wears on.
Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton, Arteta was asked when he first targeted Jorginho. He said:
“Many years ago. We knew that in this market, you have to adapt and you have to be flexible. You have to be ready for inconvenience.
“We had one with the latest news on Mo’s injury and we needed a player in that position. He’s a player I’ve always admired. He’s a great character and he’s someone who is going to bring leadership and quality in that position. He’s going to help the team a lot.”
In his first interview after arriving from Stamford Bridge, Jorginho joked that he was surprised by the interest from the Gunners and how quickly things played out in the dying days of the transfer window.
Perhaps, like the rest of us, he was surprised by the pivot after a concerted effort to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
“Timing-wise, it wasn’t that late,” said Arteta. “But he’s a player who has always been very close to our intentions to bring him in.”
Despite being integral to much of Chelsea’s success in recent seasons, most Blues supporters were happy with the money recouped for a player they believe is on the wane physically.
While doubts about the player’s ability to cope with the rigours of the Premier League may have crept in at the Bridge, Arteta is clear about the qualities Jorginho possesses.
“His intelligence, his personality, his leadership skills, the way he understands our way of playing, and the quality he has to implement that in football matches,” replied the Spaniard when asked what his new man will bring to Arsenal.
“He’s a player who will fit in really well with what we want to do.”
I hope he isn’t allowed to take those stupid jittery penalties for us. Just smash the ball in son!
Lol, how can you think exact same as me? He seems to have good stats in PK taking though.
Saka takes our penalty kicks.
Saka is our penalty taker; but if he is not on the pitch, someone else please. I am not about to like that irritating hop just because he plays for Arsenal!
Jesus, Eddie, Gabi M, Captain O, Leo T, ESR, Vieira – plenty of options – I quite fancy be White as a penalty taker…
He could do a triple somersault, then a backflip followed by his little fairy jump and score a penalty and I wouldn’t care at all once the ball hits the back of the net.
I don’t get the ‘on the wane physically’ thing- he’s never been a physical player.
Remember when Milan let a 32 year old Pirlo join Juve on a free because he was past it…
I’m with you, I believe this will prove to be a shrewd bit of business.
Can’t wait for Everton game… COYG!!!!!!!
Yes i was thinking of Pirlo in his later years, would be great if Jorginho turned out the same for us.
I remember a 32 year old Willian who joined us “on a free”. He was fat and shit and used us as his retirement home.
He’s since moved to a little cottage down the road.
He’s actually playing well there too. Are you watching the game? I am and Willian, believe it or not, is working hard and playing well.
There’s nothing wrong with Willian’s workrate, if you’re capable of observing and coming up with your own thoughts you’ll realise it’s not his fault he was shit for us. William (like others) is just not an Arteta style ‘in your face’ player.
“There’s nothing wrong with Willian’s workrate”
At right now Fulham it’s awesome, at ours it was terrible. He humped us for 200k a week and didn’t give a shit.
Can’t believe you got down voted for that one 😂
William played really well against Chelsea yesterday. He is probably playing without pressure now. It wasn’t easy switching from Chelsea to Arsenal and having to face the critical fan base.
I know, Willian’s poor performance was our fault for the excitement most of us showed when he joined us.
Or lack there of
I was one of the majority who thought he’d be a good signing. That’s until the 3 year contract reared its head. As for his lack of performance that’s on him. He had all the hallmarks of someone who wasn’t bothered. Why that was could be debated but this new narrative that we fans broke him with our hostility is nonsense.
Watching him walk it week in and week out as we kept getting spanked was depressing. A downright toxic experience. Thank fuck he was sent packing in the end.
William is a really strange one. 34 years old now and has been something of a revelation at Fulham. Ran his socks off and bullied his former Chav team mates at the tottering bridge yesterday.
He was a joy to watch yesterday. Just immense.
He’ll be vital when we start playing in the Champions League again. Arteta surely wants to come back with a bang.
Also if we get Rice (or whoever we buy for 6), he’s gonna enjoy learning from both Partey and Jorginho.
A proven winner…still at the peak of his powers….could we win the champions League in our first season back ?😉
I like how you think. There’s no other reason to be in the competition besides winning it and I so want Arteta to be our man and soon too. I remember when Willian implied Arteta had designs of being champions of Europe within three years of returning to the famed cup of something like that. Guy u get mouth.
One could always dream.
Going from Europa League to Champions League is a huge step up in quality in general. To do that on the first try would almost be a miracle. But… if we win the Europa League it’s a statement that we can essentially beat teams of that level due to the last four teams usually being pretty damn good. It would also be proof we know how to win a tournament. Add one more world class midfielder and we’ll have a squad capable of competing. Especially with Balogun back in the mix if he can take his Ligue Un form with… Read more »
Let’s get to the fucking ucl first mate, you are so ahead of the park!
He will be excellent for us in Europa League
Excited to see him play and honestly fills me with a lot more confidence then when I would see El Neny or Lokonga on the team sheet
I’m really pleased with this signing, it makes a lot of sense. I got downvoted when I mentioned this about Willian just before he signed it but I stand by comment. The last game we played against Chelsea when Willian knew he was coming to us and was chatting to some of our lads I was watching his body language and facial expressions and thought, nah, I just didn’t feel it was going to workout well and he’s not that interested so I totally get the ‘old Chelsea’ signing argument at first but this feels totally different. Let’s hope he… Read more »
This season, I beleive anything Arteta says but he did say a lot of things when he signed Willian and David Luiz.
They weren’t Arteta signings.Thank we got rid of Raul.
He wasn’t at the club when we signed Luiz
Gallas, Cech, Luiz, W*illian
Jorginho?
Things can only get better. Surly he can’t do any worse than Willian.
If you’re going to censor one of the names it should be Gallas imo. Atleast Willian accepted it aint working and left.
Gallas scored important goals with his knees, his chin, his back etc.
He lost us the title at Birmingham.
Bit harsh, but not all that far of the mark.
Three big psychological blows that day; Eduardo’s horrific injury (for which I hope the perpetrator eventually rots in Hell), Gael Cichy adjudged to have given away what was a never a last minute penalty for Birmingham (Clichy touches the ball) and then Mister G throwing his toys into the centre circle. That said, we lacked genuine leaders in that side, whereas this current squad of ours is packed with them. Could you see Odegaard or Xhaka or Zinchenko or Jesus or Tierney or White or Saliba or Saka or Elneny or Ramsdale sitting in the opposition’s centre circle after a… Read more »
Indeed. Did you see the way he played for Fulham last night? His heart wasn’t in it for us but he can stay play if he wants to.
5th time lucky? No?
Obi Wan Kenobi vibe around Jorginho.. hopefully he’ll prove to be the Lightsaber weapon 🔫 for the Gunners 😍
A great signing, he is. Yoda
😅😍
Jury still out, but can’t be no worse than the past signings we have made from Chelsea.
Well played Fulham who kept those oligarch loving cunts at bay. Nice one indeed!
Accidentally watched the West London biggest watch derby.
From a farming background, the wheat if drilled tomorrow on that pitch would yield enough grain to pay for a groundsman.
I thought Fulham were immense the way the ground Chelsea down. Mudryk coming off at halftime didn’t diminish the pleasure of the experience either.
Man, Chelsea are shit. 500 million spent and they remain shit. Fuck Chelsea!