As the deadline for the January transfer draws to a close, Arsenal are also close to agreeing a £12m deal with Chelsea for midfielder Jorginho.
The 31-year-old midfielder is expected to sign an 18-month contract, with an option to extend for a further year.
The Italian is in the final six months of his Chelsea deal. Meanwhile, the Blues are attempting to sign central midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British transfer record.
Arsenal have had two bids for Moises Caicedo of Brighton rejected, the second of which was for £70 million. Despite this, the Gunners are still interested in the Ecuadorian international and are prepared to make a move should the South Coast club change their mind.
Arsenal and Crystal Palace are reportedly in discussions on a loan agreement for Sambi Lokonga, according to sources on Tuesday.
Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal tried to sign Jorginho in the summer of 2020, the year before the midfielder won the Champions League and European Championships with Italy.
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Arteta was also the assistant coach at Manchester City when they tried to sign him in 2018. However, Jorginho turned down the move to join Maurizio Sarri instead at Chelsea from Napoli.
Arsenal are short in the midfield area. Mohamed Elneny is out and there was no commitment from Arteta when he might be back. Thomas Partey even picked up an injury in the cup clash against Manchester City.
Thomas Partey is one of the most important factors behind Arsenal’s success this season. The Gunners perform better when he is fit and on the field.
Arsenal’s schedule has been relatively kind since Christmas, but it ramps up with a run of four Premier League games in 14 days at the start of February, and that’s followed by the resumption of their Europa League campaign in March.
