Chelsea’s stance on selling Jorginho as Arsenal eye deadline-day move for midfielder

are open to selling Jorginho on transfer deadline day as express interest in bringing the midfielder to north London.

Mikel Arteta is keen to sign a new midfielder before the January transfer window closes on Tuesday night, but Arsenal are struggling to strike a deal for top target .

Brighton have rejected two offers from Arsenal for the Ecuador international – worth between £60m and £70m – with the Gunners now becoming resigned to missing out.

But even if a deal for Caicedo fails to materialise, Arsenal will still try to bolster Arteta’s options in midfield before the transfer deadline and have switched their attentions to Jorginho.

Italy international Jorginho has made more than 200 appearances for Chelsea since being signed from Napoli in 2018, winning the Champions League and Europa League during his spell at Stamford Bridge.

Jorginho is held in high regard at Chelsea but, at the age of 31, the club are reluctant to hand him a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in the summer.

As a result, Chelsea are open to cashing in on Jorginho in January rather than lose him on a free transfer at the end of the season, according to the .

The chance to raise some cash also appeals to Chelsea’s hierarchy as they push ahead with a potential record-breaking pursuit of Enzo Fernandez.

Chelsea have reportedly made an offer worth £115m for the Benfica and Argentina midfielder, with Fernandez on the verge of becoming the most expensive signing in Premier League history.

While Jorginho has been a dependable presence in Chelsea’s midfield, former Blues star Frank Leboeuf believes he is past his best and should be moved on.

‘Jorginho has served the club very well but he’s nowhere near it anymore,’ Leboeuf wrote in a column for  earlier in the month.

‘I had my time at Chelsea and people made it clear that John Terry was coming and I had to make way for him, and that’s understandable. That’s life.

‘There is a present and there is a past, and the future is not for us. You have to accept that.

‘I do like the way Jorginho plays, but he’s too slow when he has the ball, and defensively he doesn’t participate enough for me.’

The Blues have spent more than £450m on new signings under Todd Boehly but the additions have not had an instant impact, with Chelsea currently 10th in the Premier League, 10 points outside the top-four places.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have won 16 of their 20 league games this season to move five points clear at the top of the English top-flight.

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