Arsenal completed the signing of Jorginho on transfer deadline day, but should've gone the extra mile to land the services of Leicester City phenom Youri Tielemans in his stead...

What's the word?

High-flying Arsenal had been pursuing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo in January, failing with a late £70m bid, and consequently turned to Chelsea's Jorginho, signing the Italian for £12m to add a layer of security to the centre of the park.

The 31-year-old pass specialist will indeed play a part in the Gunners' pursuits over the latter stage of the campaign, but his arrival comes in the place of the Foxes' Tielemans, with the industrious Belgian out of contract at the end of the season and of interest to Arteta.

With a fee of £25m touted to grant his departure from the King Power Stadium last summer, Arsenal technical director Edu may well have been able to land a swoop for an even smaller figure this winter for an engine that cost Leicester £35m in 2019.

A big blunder?

While Jorginho is no joke, indeed the maestro is one of the most assured and efficient deep-lying ball-players in the business, an expert in retention and transitional manoeuvres, the "phenomenon" Tielemans - as dubbed by former Sweden international Par Zetterberg - would've arguably been a far more prudent deal for the Emirates-based outfit, even if his signature demanded a slightly greater fee.

With Arsenal already demonstrating they had cash in hand following their succession of official bids for Caicedo, Tielemans' prospective arrival could've become a concrete possibility had the requisite moves been made.

As per FBref, Jorginho ranks within the top 9% of midfielders for progressive passes and the top 11% for pass completion in Europe's big five leagues, whereas Tielemans, a more progressive and robust figure, ranks within the top 20% of positional peers for progressive passes, although he is in the top 15% for shot-creating actions.

Jorginho has clearly been signed to provide a spare anchor to utilise and provide respite for Thomas Partey, and while Tielemans occupies a more ubiquitous role in his spread of the pitch, he could certainly still bolster the ranks.

And plying his trade for a struggling Leicester outfit this term, the 25-year-old has recorded an average league rating of 7.17, as per Sofascore, with his 1.2 shots and 1.1 key passes per game, alongside an 84% passing accuracy and 2.1 tackles per match, invaluable in keeping the club afloat and outside the dreaded relegation zone.

And Jorginho, five years the senior of his Belgian counterpart, has mustered a rating of just 6.93 this year, the lowest recorded rating since he arrived in the Premier League from Napoli in a £57m deal.

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers once called his prized asset "one of Europe's very best midfielders", and it's clear that the diamond, who has thrived season upon season since his arrival in England, could handle the step up to one of the division's most prominent squads.

While Jorginho was the more established and cost-efficient avenue, this is an Arsenal team searching for success unseen in north London for nearly two decades, and Tielemans' inclusion could've made a genuine impact in steering the club towards that success.