Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that the Arsenal move for Jorginho will leave Mikel Arteta happy as he is getting a good player and will still have money to spend next summer
What’s the latest?
On transfer deadline day, the Gunners completed a £12m transfer for the Chelsea midfielder who signed an 18-month contract with the option of a further year.
Of course, we all know Arsenal were prepared to spend big on trying to land Moises Caicedo instead but Brighton refused to sell their key man.
What’s more, the north London outfit have also been linked with a move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and while neither of those deals were sorted in the winter, the money spent on alternative signing Jorginho will not halt the club’s transfer plans next summer.
While speaking on YouTube, Watts explained why it was a “sensible” deal for a number of key reasons.
He said: “I think he’ll make Arsenal stronger in the second half of the season. And that is obviously the most important point of the January transfer window. So I can see why they’ve done it.
“And I can see why Arteta will be quite happy about it. And importantly, it leaves a lot of money in the bank for the summer when Arsenal are really going to really push for their big priority targets again in midfield.
He added: “It’s one that I can understand and it looks sensible. It’s definitely safe.”
Wise call?
Of course, some fans may feel slightly underwhelmed when the club looked ready to spend over £70m on 21-year-old Caicedo but they end up handing £12m to rivals Chelsea to land 31-year-old Jorginho.
However, if he can play a key role in the club’s title push – having won the Champions League, Euro 2020, and more in his career so far – and end the campaign a Premier League winner with Gunners, supporters won’t mind one bit.
And, as made clear by Watts, whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Arsenal will still have the funds to go out and strengthen their squad with a move for someone like Caicedo, Rice, or even both, next summer.
And seeing as this deal already looks to have the approval of the squad – with the transfer sparking “excitement among the players and staff” – this may well be quite a savvy stop-gap signing.