Arsenal approach Chelsea over transfer of 31-year-old star: Reports

Arsenal have reportedly approached Chelsea over the signing of Jorginho. The Gunners have failed up until this point in their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Mikel Arteta's side have made contact with the Blues over Jorginho, 31. He is an option if Brighton continue to reject Arsenal's advances for Caicedo, 22.

The Stamford Bridge giants are open to allowing the Italian midfielder to leave. However, they want a reasonable fee for the player with just six months left on his contract.

Your regular helping of Jorgi's smile! 😁 https://t.co/Gj2cQC8sIL

Arsenal have been eager to sign Caicedo but saw a £70 million bid rejected for the player. The Seagulls are adamant he won't leave the Amex Stadium this month, per Sky Sports News. However, Caicedo did leave a transfer request on his Instagram account, asking Brighton to allow him a dream move.

The Gunners are looking to bolster their midfield options as they chase their first Premier League title since 2004. The January transfer window closes tomorrow (January 31), so Arteta is keen to make a midfield addition before the deadline. Jorginho would arrive at the Emirates Stadium with vast experience.

The Italian has made 213 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 29 goals and providing nine assists. He has won the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League during his time at Stamford Bridge.

However, Graham Potter's side are also in the market for a new midfielder and have set their sights on Benfica's Enzo Fernandez. They reportedly made a £105 million bid for the Argentine midfielder.

Jorginho has encountered an injury-ridden campaign, scoring three goals in 25 games across competitions. The Italian has been in the Premier League since 2018, when he joined Chelsea from Napoli.

Jorginho admits he nearly left Chelsea for Arsenal in 2020

Jorginho nearly joined the Gunners in 2020.

This isn't the first time Arsenal have been interested in signing Jorginho as they looked to do so back in 2020. A move never occurred, with the Gunners signing Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey instead.

However, the Italian did admit at the time that he was open to negotiations but that he decided to remain at Chelsea. He told ESPN Brazil:

“I believe that every player is open to negotiations. So I believe there was something they talked about. And in the end it was decided that I remain here."

He added:

“Now my head is here and we’re going to do a great job with Chelsea, which I always wanted to do.”

JORGINHO CAN'T STOP WINNING THIS YEAR 🔥

🏆 EURO 2020
🏆 Champions League
🏆 Super Cup

Ballon d'Or? 🤫 https://t.co/HxMgUJ5H01

Jorginho lifted the Champions League the following season with the Blues, won the UEFA European Championships with Italy, and finished third in the rankings for the 2021 Ballon d'Or.