Arsenal have completed the signing of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho in a transfer worth £12million.
The Italian has signed a one-and-a-half year deal with the league leaders and will provide competition in the Gunners’ midfield.
The switch brings to an end a four-and-a-half year spell at Stamford Bridge where he picked up both a Champions League and Europa League winners’ medal.
Jorginho’s move to the Emirates Stadium presents him with an opportunity to land his first Premier League title as Mikel Arteta’s side sit five points clear at the top with a game in hand.
The move has come as a surprise to many after Arsenal saw their £60m bid for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo rebuffed.
Reluctant to pay over the odds, Arteta turned his attention to Jorginho, who had just six months remaining on his Chelsea deal.
On the deal, talkSPORT pundit and Arsenal fan Darren Bent said: “I think it’s a really clever signing, the other option was £75million for Caicedo and it may be worth waiting for someone like Declan Rice in the summer.
“When you talk about holding onto leads in games Jorginho’s one of the best at keeping hold of the ball.”
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A Euro 2020 winner with Italy, Jorginho will add composure in midfield alongside the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka as Arsenal look to continue their superb league form in the second half of the season.
With Mohamed Elneny on the sideline through injury, Arteta now has adequate cover as his side face a season-defining run of fixtures, including the visit of title rivals Manchester City on February 15.
The 31-year-old could be thrown straight into the mix for Saturday lunchtime’s trip to Everton as Arsenal, live on talkSPORT, look to extend their lead to eight points ahead of City’s trip to Tottenham on Sunday.
Jorginho departs Stamford Bridge having clocked up 231 games, scoring 29 goals and registering nine assists.
He becomes the fourth Chelsea player to move to Arsenal since 2015 after Petr Cech, David Luiz and Willian.