Atletico Madrid set sights on signing Arsenal star in the summer - Reports
Atletico Madrid are interested in acquiring the services of Arsenal midfielder Jorginho in the summer, as per Spanish outlet todofichajes.
According to this report, the La Liga team's manager, Diego Simeone, appreciates the Italy international's attributes and wishes to bring him to Spain. However, the deal will not be straightforward, with the likes of Barcelona and Juventus also willing to make offers for Jorginho.
To make matters even worse for Atletico Madrid, the Gunners themselves are considering an extension for the 32-year-old, whose contract runs out in the summer.
Although many would still consider the midfielder a squad player for the north Londoners, he's performed exceedingly well when called upon. From a tactical point of view, Joringho's presence also allows Declan Rice to venture further forward, a move that has reaped rewards in recent weeks.
Most recently, the England international got on the scoresheet after starting beside Jorginho in the 6-0 win against Sheffield United (March 4). However, with Thomas Partey returning to the Gunners' squad after a lengthy injury break, the ex-Chelsea man's minutes remain uncertain.
He arrived at the Emirates from the Blues in January 2023 for a reported fee of £12 million. Since then, Jorginho has completed 42 appearances across competitions for Arsenal, bagging a goal and two assists.
A move to Atletico Madrid seems less desirable currently, with the club fourth in La Liga and trailing their Round-of-16 Champions League draw after the first leg (1-0). Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta's side are in the midst of title race, just two points behind leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta lavishes praise on Kai Havertz ahead of Arsenal v Brentford
Even with Gabriel Jesus back in contention after injury, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta might go with Kai Havertz in the number nine role against Brentford on Saturday (March 9).
The German international has scored in each of his team's last three Premier League outings. Praising the 24-year-old for his character and attitude, Arteta said (via Arseblog):
“It shows his character and how he has dealt with all those question marks. The attitude he showed all the time when things were not that good in certain phases of the game, but he continued to work hard and that’s why he’s loved by everybody here."
“And then we can see his quality and intelligence on the pitch and the contribution he’s having to the team, so we’re very happy with him.”
Havertz joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £67.5 million. He has since notched up eight goals and three assists in 37 matches across competitions.