Arsenal could lose Champions League-winning star for nothing amid pre-contract exit claims

Arsenal failed to make any January signings despite being linked to players at both the striker position and in midfield.

They saw a bid rejected for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, and so failed to find a replacement for the injured Gabriel Jesus, who is out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.

However, it didn’t seem to affect Arsenal in their last game, as they won 5-1 against Manchester City at the Emirates, keeping them second in the Premier League table, six points away from Liverpool, who have a game in hand on the Gunners.

They could be set to lose a midfielder in the summer though, as recent reports have claimed that a pre-contract agreement looks imminent with the 33-year-old’s contract set to expire in the summer.

Jorginho set to make transfer agreement

Arsenal signed midfielder Jorginho from Chelsea for a fee of £9.3m two years ago, the season after he won the Champions League with the Gunners’ London rivals. Since then, the Italian has made 72 appearances, scoring two goals and contributing three assists. He has struggled to get regular game time under Mikel Arteta, becoming more of a depth player in midfield for the Gunners.

Brazilian side Flamengo have been linked with signing Jorginho in recent months, as they would like to sign him when his contract expires at the Emirates in June. A new report has emerged suggesting that an agreement could be very close. According to GOAL Brasil, the club is holding talks with Jorginho to try and get him to sign a pre-contract agreement, confirming a move to Brazil at the end of the season.

The report says that Flamengo are prepared to spend big in order to land the midfielder, by offering him a contract worth over £9 million over a two-and-a-half year spell. They are reportedly convinced that Jorghinho would be a standout in the Brazilian Serie A. Flamengo finished third last season, nine points off leaders Botafogo - they hope that the Arsenal midfielder can help them get over the line next year.

Arsenal working to sign Jorginho replacement in the summer

During the January transfer window, reports emerged to say that Arsenal had agreed to pay the £51m release clause of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who was previously linked with Liverpool.

Zubimendi would join the Gunners in the summer if a deal is confirmed, meaning that he would be able to replace both Jorginho and Thomas Partey, who are both out of contract at the end of the season.

He plays as a holding midfielder and would slot in with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in Mikel Arteta’s XI, creating one of the most talented, (and expensive) midfield set-ups in the Premier League.

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