Arsenal are planning a shock deadline swoop for Chelsea highly-rated midfielder Jorginho after a seemingly failed attempt to sign Moises Caicedo.
The Gunners are currently in search of a deep-lying midfielder with attacking threats and have made failed moves for Brighton’s Caicedo.
Mikel Arteta’s attempt to sign Moises Caicedo hit a death knell with Brighton insisting on keeping the player, having sold another prolific midfielder Leandro Trossard to the Gunners in January.
Chelsea were also interested in Moises Caicedo but were no way close to the buyout clause set by Brighton for the midfielder.
Brighton pecked Moises Caicedo’s release clause at £80m but Chelsea submitted £55m which was rejected.
Meanwhile, Arsenal had submitted a first offer of £60m for Caicedo which was also rejected. In the midst of Chelsea and Arsenal interest, Moises Caicedo issued a public plea to Brighton, asking to leave the club.
His statement was met with fury by Brighton who barred him from training and excluded him from the FA Cup squad that dismantled Liverpool at Annex Stadium.
Arsenal still continued to push and submitted a second bid of £70m. Again, Brighton rejected the bid, pushing the Gunners to search for alternatives with the transfer window closing in few hours.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are now planning a shock deadline swoop for Chelsea’s top and experienced midfielder Jorginho.
Jorginho is in the final months of his Chelsea contract, and there are reports the Blues have reportedly held contract renewal talks with the player.
However, Chelsea are also eager to let Jorginho leave if they are prepped with the right offer, as renewal talks is yet to yield results.
After the expiration of his current contract, the Blues risk losing him as a free agent. Hence, the interest by Arsenal is said to be welcomed by the club.
Meanwhile, Jorginho is said to have prioritised staying at Stamford Bridge but has asked for a slight increase in wages, from £120,000-a-week to £150,000-a-week.
With interest from Napoli and Barcelona, Jorginho is said to have rejected an initial proposal from Chelsea earlier this season, but is still open to negotiations.
As things stand, Jorginho’s Chelsea future is still uncertain, and there are projections that the Italy international may end up living Stamford Bridge following the faceoff in negotiations terms with the club.
Also, Todd Boehly is keen on stuffing his squad with young talents hence the 31-year-old may not be able to force Chelsea’s hand in his demand for increased wage.
If the faceoff with Chelsea’s hierachy lingers, it is believed Jorginho would favor a move to Serie A high-flyers, Napoli. But a sudden emergence of Arsenal into the scene will likely influence his choice destination.
According to reports, Jorginho may likely favor a move to the Gunners over Napoli, with Mikel Arteta being his long-time admirer.
