Alan Smith delivers his verdict on new Arsenal signing Jorginho

By Shamanth Jayaram

Arsenal completed the signing of Jorginho from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, and the reaction from fans, pundits and the media has been mixed.

The Gunners were heavily linked with a move for Moises Caicedo in the final week of the window. Arsenal fans were really hoping that deal would go through, but Brighton refused to change their stance.

Arsenal had to move on and they signed Jorginho in the end.

Alan Smith delivers his verdict on new Arsenal signing Jorginho

If you’re an Arsenal fan and someone told you at the start of the window that your club will be signing Jorginho, you probably wouldn’t have believed them.

Over the last two years, Mikel Arteta and Edu have made it a point to sign players who are 25 or younger. That policy has proved to be incredibly successful, but they were forced to change it with 28-year-old Leandro Trossard last month.

There were a few moans and groans among some Arsenal fans when that signing was made owing to his age, but the signing of Jorginho, who is three years older, is making so much more noise.

Alan Smith, however, believes the Gunners have made a fantastic addition.

He said on The Arsenal Way podcast: “He’s 31, it’s an 18-month contract, he’s a Champions League winner, European Championship winner for Italy and he’s somebody that rarely gives the ball away.

“I know that athletically he’s not somebody that’s going to get up and down the pitch but I think positionally he’s so clever, so cute and he’s got that ability to play first-time passes through the lines so you could see him knocking it into Odegaard and co.”

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Jorginho was not the man Arsenal fans wanted at the start of the window, but the reaction from some has been a bit over the top.

The Italian hasn’t had a great campaign at Chelsea this season – nobody else has either. The Blues are struggling and are 10th in the table, and Jorginho, like many of his teammates, has come under immense criticism at times.

However, he is a fantastic player who was absolutely integral in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph and Italy’s Euros win. He fits Mikel Arteta’s system perfectly as well, and his experience in the Premier League will surely come in handy.

Arsenal fans should’ve had a problem if Jorginho had come in to replace Thomas Partey. Fortunately for them, he’ll only be a backup to the Ghanaian, and there aren’t many of his calibre who would’ve accepted that role.

The Gunners take on Everton this weekend and Jorginho is in line to make his debut.