Arsenal midfielder Jorginho impressed against Liverpool on Sunday, but his future still remains unclear with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
The 32-year-old arrived from Chelsea last January, and has been an important leader in the dressing room since, with his experience and leadership highly valued by Mikel Arteta.
Arteta even admitted that Jorginho is the most “intelligent” player he has ever worked with, and the Italian is often seen passing instructions from the manager to his teammates during games.
Arsenal have been linked with several central midfielders including Everton’s Amadou Onana, but with financial fair play constraints making big-money deals difficult, the club may look to keep Jorginho beyond the end of his contract.
Jorginho stance on Arsenal future explained
A report from The Standard has now revealed that Jorginho would be open to staying beyond the end of the season, despite interest from Italian giants Juventus.
“The plan is for Rice to have long-term competition at the base of midfield, although the transition can be eased by extending taking up an option to extend Jorginho’s contract for a further 12 months,” the report stated of Arsenal’s midfield plans.
“Jorginho would be happy to stay, but talks over his future are not expected until later in the season.
“The 32-year-old is a popular figure in the dressing room and one of the most tactically-astute players in the squad.
“Arteta views him as one of the most intelligent players he has coached and he helps in getting the manager’s message across, sometimes giving orders from the sidelines while warming up as a substitute.”
Arsenal should try to keep Jorginho
Given Arsenal’s midfield issues since the departure of Granit Xhaka and constant injuries to Thomas Partey, Jorginho’s importance on the pitch has increased.
His performance against Liverpool showed that he should be in the starting lineup going forward, as his composure and intelligent passing saw Arsenal deliver a much-improved display in build-up, despite the eventual result.
Jorginho started the season as a third-choice defensive midfield option behind Declan Rice and Partey, but his presence in the team could allow Rice to push further forward, and Partey’s unreliability has meant the Italian has surpassed him in the pecking order for now.
Even if a new midfielder is signed, if Jorginho is still happy to stay as a squad player, he could be a very useful squad option and leader in the dressing room for at least one more year.
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