Transfer Centre

Jorginho confirms no talks over Arsenal contract renewal

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 05 February 2024

Arsenal midfielder Jorginho confirms that no talks have taken place regarding his Gunners contract, which is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has confirmed that no talks have taken place over a possible contract extension at the Emirates Stadium.

The Italy international's current terms are only due to run until the end of the season, leaving him free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.

Ever since making the move from Chelsea in January 2023, Jorginho has failed to earn a regular starting place in Mikel Arteta's team, playing second fiddle to Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey in the second half of last season.

The 32-year-old's experience still came in handy during Arsenal's failed Premier League title charge, and one crucial contribution saw him let fly with a stunning long-range shot against Aston Villa, which struck the bar before bouncing in off of Emiliano Martinez's head.

Jorginho remained in North London over the summer as Arsenal underwent their midfield rebuild, with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz arriving after Xhaka's switch to Bayer Leverkusen, while Partey has sat out most of the season through injuries.

Arsenal midfielder Jorginho celebrates in February 2023 © Reuters

The former Napoli man made just his fifth Premier League start of the season in Sunday's clash with Liverpool, but he exceeded expectations with a composed display in the middle of the park, picking up the man-of-the-match award in that 3-1 victory.

Jorginho was awarded his opportunity in the first XI thanks to Gabriel Jesus's injury, which saw Havertz shifted into a centre-forward position, and Arteta could not stop waxing lyrical about the Italian in his post-game press conference.

The Arsenal boss hailed Jorginho as a model professional and claimed that he is lucky to work with the "unbelievable" midfielder, whose deal does include a 12-month extension option, but his future beyond the end of the season remains unclear.

Speaking to the Evening Standard after Sunday's victory, Jorginho - who has been linked with a return to Italy - confirmed that no discussions had been held over his contract situation and simply talked up the mentality of his teammates as they bid to end their 20-year Premier League title drought.

"I am trying to enjoy the moment, to be honest. We haven't spoken about it (my contract) and I just want to win games with Arsenal," the 32-year-old replied.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates after the match on February 4, 2024 © Reuters

"It would mean a lot [to win the Premier League]. That one is missing to tick [off]. We need to enjoy the moment and push really hard every single game. At the end, we will see. We have to do a lot and we have to push a lot. We are on the right path.

"I mean, we believe we can play against any team. We can beat any team, that's the reality. But then to win the League, you can't lose points against the other teams. So I think we need this maturity to try and not lose those points in other games.

"It (the team's psychology) is getting more mature. We went to the changing room and we spoke, we said what we need to say and we didn't drop the energy of the team."

Jorginho - who failed to win the Premier League during his otherwise successful Chelsea stint - has one goal and two assists under his belt from 38 games for Arsenal, whose win over the Reds moved them to within two points of the league leaders.

The Gunners are back in action away to London rivals West Ham United on Sunday, although they will drop back down to third place in the table if Manchester City overcome Brentford on Monday evening.