An update has emerged on Arsenal and their pursuit of a deal to sign a central midfielder during the January transfer window...

What's the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel has revealed that the Gunners are eyeing up a swoop to sign Italian international Jorginho from their Premier League rivals ahead of the deadline.

He Tweeted: "Arsenal have made a move for Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. Deal a ‘long way off’ but possible ahead of tomorrow’s deadline."

The Athletic's David Ornstein has also backed up that claim by stating that they are one of the teams interested in signing the European Championships winner. The reporter Tweeted:

"Arsenal among clubs exploring possibility of signing Jorginho from Chelsea. Italy midfielder’s contract up in summer + #CFC open to exit (may depend on Enzo Fernandez). 31yo one of options #AFC have expressed interest for."

Willian 2.0

Mikel Arteta and Edu could be on course to land Willian 2.0 for Arsenal as Jorginho could be a risky signing for the club to make, given his age, wage, and the problem areas in his performances.

The Gunners snapped Willian up on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer of 2020, with the forward already in his 30s, and the Brazil international scored once in 37 matches in all competitions before moving to Corinthians the following season.

He struggled to deliver consistent quality in the final third, after managing 63 goals and 62 assists with the Blues, and the club could now repeat their mistake with the attacker by signing Jorginho.

The Italian international is reportedly on £110k-per-week at Stamford Bridge and that would put him joint-seventh in the Gunners squad when it comes to wages.

Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have both averaged Sofascore ratings of 7.11 or higher in the Premier League this season and Jorginho has not averaged a rating higher than 7.08 in his five seasons in the English top-flight, which suggests that he does not have the quality to break into the Arsenal team and would, therefore, not be on wages that match his position in the squad.

Chelsea legend Ashley Cole bemoaned the midfielder's lack of mobility after the club's 1-0 loss to Leicester in the FA Cup final in 2021 and claimed that there are "holes" in his game, adding:

“He knew he didn’t have the legs to get there, so he’s trying to dictate to people around him.

“There will always be frailties. I’m not worried about in the week when he gave the ball away [for Arsenal’s goal] because that’s very rare, but that happens a lot in his game."

Would he have the legs to play in Xhaka or Partey's positions in the current squad? Cole's comments raise doubt over whether or not the 31-year-old has the mobility to get about the pitch to cover Zinchenko on the left or screen the back four on his own, which is another reason why this could be a poor deal for Arsenal and Willian 2.0.