That’s all. The transfer window is closed and we can return to concentrate on football.
I love a good transfer as much as anyone, but every year there is a collective madness that engulfs football fans around this time. James Tweeted me yesterday where a reporter said something about Chelsea, and mentions of him were full of fans complaining viciously about not doing enough. When spending over £600m since the summer on 15+ players isn’t enough, you know there’s something wrong with the way people view these things.
Still, from an Arsenal perspective, we got the midfielder we needed, even if it was one that wasn’t everyone’s first choice. Jorginho arrived from Chelsea after our attempts to buy Moises Caicedo from Brighton failed for what would have been a club record fee. Honestly, he’s a good player, but putting over £70m on the table for a player who cost Brighton less than £4m two years ago was more than fair, in my opinion. However, they were not willing to give in, and that is entirely their prerogative.
It meant we had to look elsewhere at the last minute, and our need in this area was made abundantly clear when the club announced the severity of Mohamed Elneny’s injury. They don’t put an exact time frame, but if we see him again this season it would be a big surprise. That made our need even more acute.
Jorginho is a player Mikel Arteta has admired for some time, the deal seems to have been relatively easy to make and he signed yesterday for a reasonable fee, even if giving Chelsea money is a bit of a pain. The manager said:
Jorginho is a midfielder with intelligence, deep leadership skills and a wealth of Premier League and international experience. Jorginho has won his career, but he is still hungry and willing to contribute here.
While the player himself said:
I’m very excited for this new challenge and to be honest I can’t wait to be on the field! Everything has happened so fast. I was a bit surprised, but I jumped at the chance of this amazing challenge.
It’s an important shirt. It’s an incredible club, a big one, and I’m very excited and happy to be here.
As I wrote yesterday, the reaction to this one from a fan’s perspective was completely understandable. Our 30+ signings from Chelsea have not really been a success. To be fair, Petr Cech wasn’t horrible, just pretty average. David Luiz made a good contribution off the pitch between red cards, with some good performances, most notably in the FA Cup winning run. And, obviously, the less said about Willian, the better. However, there is a deep-seated trauma there. Jorginho’s links scratched old wounds that were not very well healed.
That’s why I was looking at the rate and the length of the contract very closely. £11m + £2m add-ons is fine in this market, and the 18-month deal with an option for another suggests we’ve learned something by awarding lucrative three-year deals to players in the last few years. stages of their careers. He’s also been playing regularly this season, 15 PL starts, so it’s not like he’s playing with his thumbs on his big bench. He’s a regular, not a castoff. He’s also not the type of transfer to offer any kind of hurdle, financial or otherwise, for a summer signing that really raises the bar, and we all know that’s something the club are keen to do. Finally, unlike Willian, he is a player that we really need.
On a technical and tactical level, Jorginho is a very good player. I know the stats don’t tell you the whole story, but he compares pretty well to Thomas Partey:
I suspect the big concern will be the physical side of his game. He’s not fast, so if he gets caught trying to cover a lot of ground in large spaces, it could be a problem. On the other hand, players whose game doesn’t depend on having a lot of pace tend to cope better than those who lose that light-footed advantage they had when they were younger. I don’t think he needs a lot of time to adjust, to understand what the manager wants from a tactical perspective, and as a short-term interim replacement for Elneny, if you leave Chelsea things to one. side, which is not easy to do, I know, it’s a sensible signature in that sense.
Where there might be a bit of concern is the decision to loan Albert Sambi Lokonga to Crystal Palace. If you look at it in purely football terms, it makes sense. It’s clear he’s not happy, it’s not working for him at Arsenal, the manager doesn’t really trust him, and for his own development, and for his value on the transfer market, a loan where he plays often could be really beneficial. Patrick Vieira can teach him a thing or two about midfield, but I expect him to be sold in the summer.
However, his departure leaves us light in midfield, so what’s the thinking? I hope it’s something they ask the coach, but my feeling is that they didn’t see Lokonga as a ‘6’ anyway, and in that position we have Thomas Partey and now Jorginho. That leaves him as cover for Granit Xhaka at eighth left, and I suspect Mikel Arteta sees the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira as potential options there. Internal solutions if you wish.
I’ve mentioned this before, but when you consider our search for Mykhaylo Mudryk, a left winger, along with the presence of Gabriel Martinelli, who also plays on that side, it would only make sense if they saw Smith Rowe elsewhere. Although that’s where he’s played most often, you don’t overload yourself with three players for that position. I’ve always thought his skill set lends itself to playing more centrally, so I wonder if he looks like someone who can play in the same area as Xhaka. With plenty of minutes to play this season, and now with Trossard and Martinelli on that side, it seems plausible that he will deploy to a different area of ​​the pitch.
Time will tell I suppose, but Lokonga have hardly set the world on fire this season when called upon to, and I think now is the time when Smith Rowe really needs to plant his flag and start his career. Fitness is the main issue right now, obviously, but it’s at a point where he needs to define a position and really kick. That could easily be midfield and given the numbers we may need it to be.
The only other high-profile deal, among a handful of Academy loans, was Cedric joining Fulham on loan. He’s not funny, but I bet he’ll love sending crosses to Mitrovic. He loves a good cross that boy.
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Right, that’s all. On Patreon, Phil and I did a New Players Podcast, looking at Jorginho’s deal from all angles and in the context of the window. I think it is worth your time and you can check it here.
For now, take it easy.
