Arsenal ‘considered’ bids for two other midfielders but report claims loan recall was never discussed

Joe Williams
Arsenal target Edson Alvarez looks up as he runs forward with the ball

Arsenal considered making bids for two other midfielders before they pushed through a move for Jorginho on deadline day, according to reports.

The Gunners sealed a deal worth around £12m for the Italy midfielder on the final day of the January transfer window after giving up their efforts to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Arsenal made two bids to sign the Seagulls star but feared a third bid would damage their relationship with their fellow Premier League club after they made it clear he was ‘not for sale’ in the winter market.

That saw Mikel Arteta and Gunners technical director Edu swoop for Jorginho with a number of other midfielders linked over the course of the January window.

And The Athletic explained how Arsenal reached their decision to sign the Italian:

‘Caicedo and [Declan] Rice were not the only midfielders discussed in the course of the window — Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad and Edson Alvarez of Ajax were among the names considered. Arsenal were willing to trigger the €60million release clause for Zubimendi, but the Spanish international preferred to remain in San Sebastian until the summer. Arsenal have been impressed with Charlie Patino’s form at Blackpool, but there were no discussions about bringing him back from his loan prematurely.

‘In the final days of the window, Arsenal were offered other midfield players by intermediaries. Many of these simply did not meet Arteta’s specifications. Jorginho, ultimately, was the exception.’

Even if he wasn’t their top target for the January window, Arteta and Edu were thrilled to bring Jorginho to the Emirates Stadium with the Italian giving them extra depth in midfield.

Edu told the club’s official website: “Jorginho is an established professional with a strong mentality who brings quality and experience into our squad.

“He is a player who fits our style of play, and he joins us at a very good moment where he can contribute in a key position to help maintain our momentum. We welcome Jorginho to Arsenal.”

Arteta added: “Jorginho is a midfield player with intelligence, deep leadership skills and a huge amount of Premier League and international experience. Jorginho has won in his career, but he still has the hunger and huge willingness to contribute here.

“We are so pleased to sign Jorginho and welcome him and his family to the club.”

READ MORE: Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd among the Premier League 2023 January transfer window winners