Arsenal transfer news: A move for Chelsea’s Jorginho on transfer deadline day looks set to go through as a £12million fee is agreed with rivals Chelsea, Luke Thrower reports for Football London.

Arsenal closing in on deal for Chelsea midfielder Jorginho

Arsenal have agreed a £12million deal with Chelsea to sign midfielder Jorginho on January transfer deadline day, football.london understands. The Gunners will pay £10million up front for the Italian international with a further £2million in add-ons.

The 31-year-old will join on an initial 18-month contract with the option to extend by a further year, adding some much needed depth to Mikel Arteta’s central ranks. It comes amid concerns over the options available to the Spaniard as the Gunners continue their push for the Premier League title.

With Mohamed Elneny injured for a period of time as well as an injury scare surrounding Thomas Partey after he was substituted halfway through the FA Cup clash with Manchester City, the need for signings was clear. “We need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can, but in this market it is pretty complicated to do that,” the manager said before deadline day.

A £60million bid for Brighton star Moises Caicedo was rebuffed by the Seagulls, leaving the Gunners looking at contingency plans for the final few hours. However, in Jorginho the north London outfit have an experienced winner who could be the difference between them winning the league or missing out.

At 31 he may be beyond his best, but with few options in the January window, it could prove to be some smart business. When the move officially goes through, the Italian may only have a few numbers to pick from, having only ever worn five, eight and 19 in his club career.

Potential Arsenal shirt numbers available to Jorginho: 2, 13, 20*, 22*, 26, 28, 29, 30.

*20 – Nuno Tavares is on loan at Marseille

Chelsea transfer news: The Blues continue negotiations to complete a deal to sign Benfica star Enzo Fernandez and are confident of reaching an agreement over a deal for the World Cup winner, Josh Holland reports for Football London.

Chelsea continue their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez (Image: Diogo Cardoso/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Enzo Fernandez has been omitted from Benfica’s squad for tonight’s Liga NOS trip to Arouca as Chelsea continue their efforts to complete a deal worth at least £105million.

The World Cup winner has been on the Blues’ radar throughout the January transfer window as Todd Boehly looks to bolster Graham Potter’s midfield. They failed in securing a deal earlier in the window but football.london understands that Fernandez remains the priority and extensive talks have been held with Benfica.

It’s understood that Chelsea are willing to conclude a deal to make the midfielder the club’s record signing and the most expensive player in Premier League history. Benfica have demanded a £105million figure throughout the month, holding out for the player’s release clause.

READ MORE: Graham Potter makes key Chelsea deadline day decision amid Fernandez and Ziyech transfer latest

As work continues in Lisbon in securing Fernandez’s services, Jorginho is edging closer to a switch to London rivals Arsenal. football.london understands that the Gunners have agreed a £12m deal to sign the Italian on an initial 18-month contract – leaving a vacant space in Potter’s midfield.

Now, with less than 12 hours remaining of the January transfer window, Chelsea have received a boost in their pursuit of Fernandez with reports that he has been left out of Roger Schmidt’s side for their league fixture against Arouca this evening.

After missing the 1-0 victory over Portimonense earlier in the month after failing to report to training, the 22-year-old has appeared in all three league games and assisted twice in the 3-0 win over Santa Clara.

However, according to journalist Duncan Castles, Fernandez will not be in action this evening for Benfica after missing training on Monday. It’s claimed the midfielder has asked the Portuguese club to accept Chelsea’s proposal.

Fixtures

Friday 3 February 2023

Saturday 4 February 2023

Sunday 5 February 2023

Wednesday 8 February 2023

Rank		GP	W	D	L	Pts
1 Arsenal		19	16	2	1	50
2 Manchester City		20	14	3	3	45
3 Newcastle United		20	10	9	1	39
4 Manchester United		20	12	3	5	39
5 Tottenham Hotspur		21	11	3	7	36
6 Brighton and Hove Albion		19	9	4	6	31
7 Fulham		21	9	4	8	31
8 Brentford		20	7	9	4	30
9 Liverpool		19	8	5	6	29
10 Chelsea		20	8	5	7	29
11 Aston Villa		20	8	4	8	28
12 Crystal Palace		20	6	6	8	24
13 Nottingham Forest		20	5	6	9	21
14 Leicester City		20	5	3	12	18
15 Leeds United		19	4	6	9	18
16 West Ham United		20	5	3	12	18
17 Wolverhampton Wanderers		20	4	5	11	17
18 Bournemouth		20	4	5	11	17
19 Everton		20	3	6	11	15
20 Southampton		20	4	3	13	15