Arsenal could wave goodbye to 14th player amid late transfer bid

The summer transfer window has officially closed in the Premier League and Arsenal were amongst the biggest spenders in the top-flight alongside city rivals Chelsea.

The Gunners broke their transfer record to sign Declan Rice and a number of big moves for David Raya, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber also took place.

This left Arsenal as the biggest spenders in the Premier League, but a late summer clear out for the likes of Folarin Balogun, Rob Holding and Kieran Tierney left the North London giants with the second biggest net spend at £124.7 million.

The summer window has helped Mikel Arteta to bridge the gap between his side and reigning champions Manchester City and it is likely that the Gunners will act again in the transfer market come January, particularly if they find themselves in another title race.

But the sales may not be over for Arsenal and the future of one senior player is still in doubt due to interest from Turkey.

The Turkish Super Lig has a slightly later transfer window then others in Europe, which allows clubs to continue signing players for a further two weeks and their deadline is not until 15 September.

This has prompted speculation about the future of midfielder Jorginho, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign.

Turkish outlet Ajansspor claims that the Italian midfielder is a top target for 19-time champions Fenerbahce who are reportedly in the market for a deep lying midfielder to boost their title hopes.

The Turkish giants have started the season in fine form with three wins from their opening three games as they chase their first league title in nine seasons.

Jorginho arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Chelsea in January 2023 and he made a total of 16 appearances in the second half of last season as Arsenal missed out on the title.

But he has struggled for regular minutes this season, making just two league appearances off the bench. 

The former European Championship winner's future at Arsenal is in doubt, particularly with the emergence of Fabio Vieira who is beginning to show signs of promise in the Arsenal midfield.

However, Fenerbahce's hopes of landing the Italian international have been hit with a blow in recent weeks with Thomas Partey picking up a hamstring injury which could keep him out for several months.

This could hand Jorginho further first team opportunities in the coming week and squad depth could be paramount for the Gunners as they return to the Champions League for the first time since 2016.

Speaking of Jorginho’s importance. Arteta said in August: “Jorgi’s experience is very important, and then we have to use that and allow them to lead and self-police in certain moments. When it comes from the dressing room, that’s the most powerful thing. We haven’t gone from the end of May to the beginning of August from being young to now being mature."

This suggests that Jorginho still has a future at Arsenal, but with his contract expiring in the summer it remains to be seen whether they will look to cash in on him for a fee, particularly given the importance of FFP.