Arsenal confirmed the signing of Jorginho from Chelsea on deadline day and his arrival could see Edu heal Mikel Arteta’s heartbreak from 2020.
The Italian midfielder made the switch across London on a deal until the summer of 2024, with an option for a further year, which sees the Gunners bolster their options in the middle of the park ahead of a crucial second half of the campaign.
Although he has made a combined 18 appearances in the Premier League this season under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, his contract was set to expire in the summer of 2023, so Arsenal’s £12m offer was clearly deemed too good to turn down.
While Arteta is unlikely to break up the trio of Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, adding someone of Jorginho’s experience could be vital for squad depth, especially if one of the starting three picks up an injury.
The Spanish manager has long been in the market for a deep-lying playmaker of Jorginho’s mould, with the Gunners seeing a move for Thiago Alcantara fail in 2020, as he joined Liverpool instead.
He has gone on to make 92 appearances for the Reds, contributing three goals and six assists, establishing himself as a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield.
According to FBref, the former Bayern Munich man is the fourth-most similar player to Jorginho when compared to other midfielders across Europe’s top leagues.
This season has seen the two maestros record extremely similar stats with regard to expected goals and assists per 90 (0.14 vs 0.12), final third passes (87 vs 86) and passes that led to a shot (29 vs 27).
WhoScored also suggests that both Jorginho and Thiago excel at passing, while they both also like to tackle, so they are clearly similar types of midfielders.
Although Jorginho is 31, so may be considered a short-term signing, it could prove to be a bargain for Arteta if he can live up to his “world-class” credentials, in the words of former Liverpool man Jose Enrique.
Therefore, with Arsenal having arguably lacked a pass-master in defensive midfield under Arteta’s reign, the Spaniard will no doubt be delighted that after missing out on Thiago three years ago the Gunners have put to bed that heartbreak by signing a similar player in Jorginho.
