Jorginho is one of the many players to play for both Arsenal and Chelsea, he joined from the Blues in January 2023.
The Italian midfielder has become a reliable depth player for Mikel Arteta, as he has vast experience both in the Premier League and the Champions League.
The 33-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Emirates to Brazilian side Flamengo in recent months, with his contract at Arsenal set to expire at the end of the season.
However, the Gunners could decide to extend his contract by one year if they choose to, due to an option clause in his deal at the club.
Jorginho’s move from Brazil to Italy led to Serie A success
The midfielder was born in Brazil, despite being Italian in nationality. He began playing football in Brazil before he moved to Italy in at the age of 15, when he joined the youth team at Hellas Verona.
However, after playing in the youth teams at Verona for three years, Jorginho was loaned out to fourth tier side Sambonifacese, where he spent a year at the age of 19. He made 31 appearances, scoring once for the Italian side in what was a successful loan spell.
He then returned to Verona for the following season, which led to him making his debut for the club aged 20, coming on as a substitute in a league game against Sassuolo. He made 30 appearances for Verona in his first full season with the club, scoring two goals and contributing three assists.
In the 2012/13 season, he become a regular star for Verona, making 44 appearances, with two goals and two assists which both came in Serie B. He helped Verona to achieve promotion to the Serie A.
In his final year with the club in 2013/14, he spent just the first half of the season with Verona, before he was signed by giants Napoli for a fee of £8m. He made 19 appearances for Napoli in the second half of the season, including an appearance in the Copa Italia final, where his side won 3-1 against Fiorentina.
In the following season, Jorginho became a regular for Napoli, making 33 appearances, including his first games in the Champions League.
In the next three seasons under manager Mauricio Sarri, the Italian midfielder made 69 appearances for Napoli, becoming one of the most talented players in the Serie A. During that period, Jorginho also received his first call-up to the Italy national team from Antonio Conte in 2016.
Sarri brings Jorginho to Chelsea before move to Arsenal in 2023
It was no coincidence that Jorginho and Mauricio Sarri both joined Chelsea in the same summer, as the manager was keen to bring his star midfielder with him to the Premier League.
Jorginho signed for the Blues for a fee of £57 million in 2018, signing a five-year-contract. He made his debut in the Community Shield against Manchester City who he nearly joined instead of Chelsea.
In his first season at Stamford Bridge, the midfielder made 54 appearances in total for Chelsea, scoring two goals under Sarri. He helped Chelsea to the Europa League final, where they beat Arsenal 3-1 in 2019.
After the season, Sarri was out as Chelsea boss, and the club instead decided to hire Frank Lampard, who had nearly taken Derby County to the Premier League in his first managerial job. It didn’t work out for Lampard at Chelsea, but Jorginho continued to perform.
He made 44 appearances for the Blues, scoring seven goals and two assists. And in the following year, he made 43 appearances and scored eight goals under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
Jorginho was part of the Chelsea team that won the Champions League in 2021, when they beat Manchester City 1-0 in the final.
Following the success under Tuchel, Jorginho was also part of the Italy National team that won Euro 2020 (2021), against England in the final. Jorginho was nominated for the Ballon d’Or award due to his success in 2021.
In the 2021/22 season, he made 47 appearances, scoring nine goals and four assists under both Tuchel, and the next Chelsea boss Graham Potter. After Potter was sacked, Mauricio Pochettino came in at Stamford Bridge the next season, which would be his last at Chelsea.
He made 25 appearances for Chelsea in the first half of the season, before his January transfer to Arsenal, who paid £12m for him. Since joining Arsenal, Jorginho has made 73 appearances (at the time of writing), but he has scored just two goals and three assists. He is likely to leave the Emirates in the summer.
