Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta may have played a title masterstroke when he signed Jorginho from Chelsea during last season’s January transfer window. The midfielder has proven to be more than just a reliable player on the pitch as he has taken up an influential support role off the pitch. And he seemingly filled in for his manager when Arteta was banned for Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa last weekend.
Jorginho spent four-and-half years at Stamford Bridge but moved to the Emirates Stadium in a £12million deal six months before his contact with the Blues was due to end. The Italy international has made 34 appearances for the Gunners, with 18 of those coming this season. And despite struggling for starts in recent weeks, the 31-year-old has excelled in a leadership role in the dugout and on the training pitch.
With around half an hour of Arsenal’s clash with Villa remaining, Gunners goalkeeper David Raya ran over to the side of the pitch to discuss tactics and seek guidance. And the Spaniard headed straight to Jorginho instead of one of the established coaches.
“I can clearly remember,” Jorginho told The Telegraph. “He tried to play on the right side and I told him to play on the left, because that is what we trained before. We were just discussing what we trained. He came over to have this chat and clear it up.”
Jorginho wasn’t signed as a player-coach but appears to have taken on such a role as Arsenal look to end a two decade wait for Premier League silverware after narrowly missing out on the title to Manchester City last season.
And Jorginho added: “It is something that comes naturally. When Mikel is there or when he is not. Even more when he is not there. It was just trying to support the boys, trying to help them with advice that I could see from outside the pitch, to make them better. That is one of my biggest strengths – my brain. [It’s] because of all I have learned over the years. All I try to do is pass it to the boys and help them to grow, to understand better the game.”
Arsenal’s capture of Jorginho appeared to come out of nowhere, with some people arguing at the time that his addition did not represent an improvement on the players already plying their trade in north London. The star had been criticised at times for some of his displays in a struggling Chelsea team – but the signing seems to be paying off handsomely for the Gunners.
Arsenal were hammered for their lack of leaders for years as the team struggled to stamp their authority in certain matches. But Jorginho is stepping up to the plate. And if the 2021 Champions League winner can continue to be a voice of authority on and off the pitch and galvanise his team-mates, Arteta may have found the ultimate person to finally inspire the Gunners to the Premier League title.
