Jorginho admits £34m Arsenal ace is like a son to him

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Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has opened up about his relationship with Fabio Vieira.

Jorginho shares a close bond with Arsenal teammate Fabio Vieira, and is something of a father figure to the Portuguese ace.

At 31-years-old, Jorginho is one of the senior figures in Mikel Arteta’s generally very young Arsenal squad. The £12 million former Chelsea man’s extensive experience will be an invaluable resource in the dressing room at the Emirates Stadium.

Jorginho certainly looks to have embraced a leadership role since his arrival at the north London club, and now seems to have taken Vieira under his wing.

Arsenal signed Vieira from Porto for £34 million in the summer of 2022. After a quiet first season in English football, the 23-year-old looks far more settled and self-assured this time around. Perhaps that change is partly due to the influence of Jorginho.

On the nature of their friendship, Jorginho recently spoke to Colney Carpool. The 48-cap Italy international said, “we say that he’s my son, you know. I take care of him.”

Big things expected from both Vieira and Jorginho

Arteta will be delighted to see Jorginho helping one of the younger players in such a manner. There is certainly so much that Vieira can learn from the senior player, both on and off the pitch.

Both Jorginho and Vieira will have key roles to play this season. The former recently underlined his importance to the squad with a fantastically calm and composed performance against Manchester City when he was named in the starting XI.

Vieira has already provided some encouraging cameos from the bench this season, contributing assists against Fulham and Manchester United. As the season goes on and the fixtures pile up, the attacking midfielder will be required to influence games from the start on a more consistent basis. His mentorship under Jorginho ought to help him develop as a player.