Journalist Charles Watts is keen to see Arsenal secure the future of Jorginho.
Jorginho produced a masterclass of a midfield performance for Arsenal against Liverpool on Sunday.
Handed only his fifth Premier League start of the season so far, Jorginho turned in a player of the match display at the Emirates Stadium as the Gunners secured a vital 3-1 win over the Merseyside outfit.
The 32-year-old forged an excellent partnership with Declan Rice in the middle of the park. The 25-year-old’s athleticism and running power, combined with Jorginho’s composure and range of passing, made for a formidable pairing in that part of the pitch. Together they played a key role in ensuring that the hosts controlled the vast majority of the match.
Given his age, the former Chelsea man cannot be expected to start for Arsenal week in, week out. However, having shown his quality against Liverpool, it will be fascinating to see if Mikel Arteta now makes more regular use of the player in the coming weeks and months.
The Spanish coach certainly appreciates what Jorginho brings to the club. His experience is invaluable in the dressing room, as the Arsenal squad is generally very young. Arteta has also previously said that Jorginho is one of the most “intelligent” players he has ever worked with.
What does the future hold for Jorginho at Arsenal?
However, the 50-cap Italy international’s future at the Emirates Stadium is in considerable doubt.
As things stand, Jorginho will become a free agent this summer. His agent has already confessed that talks over a new deal with the north London club have reached a “standstill”.
That being said, Arsenal do hold a one-year extension option in his current contract.
Journalist Charles Watts is now eager to see the club take up that option and extend the player’s stay at Arsenal. Speaking on his Inside Arsenal YouTube platform, the reporter said, “I just think he’s been a brilliant signing, Jorginho. Like Mikel says, he’s a role model. He’s a coach, basically, when he’s not playing he’s coaching the players. Just money well spent and I would 100% extend that contract, take the option up, have him for another year. I think it would be really disappointing if he goes at the end of the season because he’s clearly still got so much to give.”
One of the concerns when considering triggering a contract extension for a player of Jorginho’s age is physical decline. In this case, though, that ought not to be too much of a worry for the Gunners. To be frank, Jorginho has never relied upon pace or power, and never had much of those two attributes to lose in the first place. Instead, he makes use of his technical excellence and tactical intelligence to thrive on the pitch, and there is no reason to expect either of those qualities to desert him anytime soon.
What’s more, Jorginho has largely avoided serious injuries throughout his career, which means his body is likely to hold up to the rigours of Premier League football for longer.
At this stage, extending his contract seems like something of a no-brainer.
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