Fabrizio Romano says £110k-p/w Arsenal ace would ‘love’ to play elsewhere

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Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Jorginho does not intend to end his career at Arsenal.

Jorginho currently holds a rotational role in Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal squad. However, with Thomas Partey having missed the majority of the season to date with injury, Jorginho has been able to enjoy plenty of football. So far this season, the 31-year-old has made 17 appearances across all competitions for the north London club.

Arteta is a huge fan of Jorginho. He certainly trusts the midfield veteran, and picked him to start at the base of the midfield unit against Manchester City earlier this season.

The Spanish coach will value the experience and composure that Jorginho brings to the squad. However, the former Chelsea man also has his flaws as a player, which Arteta must be mindful to guard against when deciding which matches Jorginho is best suited to playing in.

The player’s long-term future at the Emirates Stadium is also in considerable doubt. Writing in his Daily Briefing, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on Jorginho’s own plans. The reporter said, “I’m not sure at all whether this will be his last season at Arsenal. It’s not the time to make decisions now, but for sure one day before retiring he’d love to play in Italy. Those close to the player guarantee that he’s only focused on Arsenal at this stage of the season.”

What does the future hold for Arsenal ace Jorginho?

Jorginho’s professionalism cannot be doubted. He will certainly give his all for the north London club until the end of the current campaign. At that point, as things stand, Jorginho is set to become a free agent. The player’s agent recently admitted that talks over a new contract with the Gunners are at a “standstill.”

What’s more, Arsenal are currently in the market for midfield reinforcements, with a number of options being weighed up. It could well be the case that Arteta sees moving Jorginho on this summer as a necessary aspect of his planned midfield rebuild. The 50-cap Italy international isn’t getting any younger, after all. 

It is also easy to see why Jorginho would wish to see out the final days of his playing career in Italy, too. Being his home country, there’ll be a huge emotional draw, pulling him back to the nation he hasn’t plied his trade in at club level since leaving Napoli in 2018.

The £110,000-a-week star will still have a crucial role to play for the rest of this season, though. As Partey can’t be relied upon to be fit and available, Jorginho must be on hand to support and rotate with Declan Rice whenever necessary. It is also too early to rule out the possibility of Arsenal offering him fresh terms to extend his stay at the club.