Arsenal tipped to make big call on £12m signing as title race goes down to the wire

Jorginho’s Arsenal contract will be up in the summer but the Emirates club have reportedly placed a new deal on the table in the hope his stay in N7 continues beyond the 2023/24 season.

The former Chelsea midfielder’s current contract was an 18-month deal with an option to extend for a further 12 months and, according to The Athletic, the Gunners are set to reward the Brazilian-born Italian star’s performances with said extension.

The 32-year-old headed north of the capital in January 2023, signing with Mikel Arteta’s side for £12 million. He has managed 35 appearances for the club this season across all competitions and while many of those appearances have been from the bench, the Arsenal head coach has praised Jorginho’s exceptional attitude and worth ethic.

After Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Liverpool in February, Arteta said of the ex-Blues midfielder: “For all the kids at the club, if you want to look at somebody, just look at him.

“He’s won everything but you ask him not to play or play one minute last week, he’s happy to go there. Ask him to play 90 minutes at that rhythm and he’s able to do that. I’m really lucky to have players like this.

“(The Liverpool game) it’s a game that I had in my mind. I was imagining how much we were going to need him. He’s a really intelligent player, his biggest quality is that he makes the people around him better. He connects everybody. I think he was man of the match.”

The defensive midfielder had previously spent five years with the Blues, joining from Napoli in 2018. Among his many accolades include the Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana; UEFA Champions League; UEFA European Championship and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year 2020/21.

Although he is yet to score his first Gunners goal in the Premier League, his experience and presence in the squad has evidently been crucial in Arteta’s push for Premier League glory. The Emirates side still have three fixtures left as they aim to beat Manchester City to the top spot and will seek to add a further three points to their tally this weekend as they host Bournemouth at the Emirates.

The Athletic also reported that the Gunners’ sporting director Edu headed to Saudi Arabia to meet officials last week. It was noted that they had not specific players in mind but they met relevant people around the Saudi Pro League to aid potential future deals.