Arsenal are desperately trying to agree a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho on a season long loan after missing out on Houssem Aouar, according to ESPN.
Mikel Arteta has been looking to revamp his midfield this summer with the club actively trying to find a buyer for Matteo Guendouzi while Lucas Torreira is set to join Atletico Madrid after struggling to hold down a regular first team place.
Arsenal had identified Aouar as their first choice target but have struggled to agree a deal with Lyon. ESPN says the Gunners saw an opening £32m bid rejected last week with Lyon demanding around £55m for the playmaker.
The report says negotiations between the two clubs have now broken down so Aouar is set to remain in France for at least another year while talks with Atletico Madrid for Thomas Partey have also proven extremely difficult.
With time running out before the transfer window closes on Monday night, ESPN says Arsenal are now turning their attention to alternative targets and Jorginho has emerged as a potential candidate.
The media outlet claims Arsenal are now ‘desperate’ to secure a one-year loan for the Italian international but it remains to be seen whether a deal can be agreed with London rivals Chelsea.
The Blues would be reluctant to let Jorginho leave to join Arsenal without a replacement being found but they have made no progress in their pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
However, the good news for Arsenal is that Chelsea boss Frank Lampard understands he needs to reduce his bloated squad after splashing out over £200m on seven new signings this summer so the Blues may be willing to let Jorginho on a short-term basis.
The 28-year-old has started three of Chelsea’s four Premier League games so far this season and scored two penalties during their 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
However, Jorginho hasn’t always been a regular under Lampard and was tipped to leave earlier in the summer so the Chelsea boss may be prepared to sanction a loan move to Arsenal before the window closes.
If the Gunners can land Jorginho on loan, he’d become Arteta’s fourth major new recruit of the summer window following the arrivals of attacker Willian, goalkeeper Alex Runarsson and centre-back Gabriel.
